In 18 th and 19 th century, there was a definitive trend in India to improve the conditions of women's life. The fight for women's rights speeded up in the 20 th century when the reforms of the upliftment of women got results, evident also in a significant participation of women in India's freedom struggle under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. The constitution of India guarantees equality between men and women and with greater economic independence of women there is a slow, yet clear indication of improvement. But yet there is a long way to go. Many young girls begin to have children as early as at the age of 14.
Baby girls have small chances to grow up healthy.
Girls in villages generally do not seem to have equal access to food within the family. Their outdoors activities include working in the fields, searching for water and while at home they are mostly busy with cooking and looking after the young children. With the economic progress made in the past two decades, India's acute and severe food shortages have become a thing of the past and the Government can concentrate its efforts on long-term structural problems, such as the low social status of women and the lack of purchasing power of the poor and their abilities to procure basic needs such as food. Despite their virtual lack of access to means of improving their incomes, women make an essential contribution to their families survival, especially among the poorer strata. They spent the first six to twelve months building group cohesion and familiarising the members with savings and borrowing procedures.