Q.1 Which landmark case in the U.S. declared that separate educational facilities for different races were inherently unequal, influencing later gender equality cases?
Roe v. Wade
Brown v. Board of Education
Griswold v. Connecticut
Loving v. Virginia
Explanation - Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ruled that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional, setting a precedent later used in gender equality legal arguments.
Correct answer is: Brown v. Board of Education
Q.2 CEDAW, adopted by the UN in 1979, stands for:
Convention on Eliminating Discrimination Against Women
Convention on Equal Development for All Women
Council for Equality and Diversity of All Women
Convention for Empowerment and Development of All Women
Explanation - CEDAW is an international treaty adopted in 1979 that seeks to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women.
Correct answer is: Convention on Eliminating Discrimination Against Women
Q.3 In India, which article of the Constitution guarantees equality before the law irrespective of gender?
Article 12
Article 14
Article 17
Article 21
Explanation - Article 14 ensures equality before the law and equal protection of laws, forming the constitutional basis for gender equality.
Correct answer is: Article 14
Q.4 Which feminist legal scholar is known for the theory of 'dominance feminism'?
Catharine MacKinnon
Judith Butler
Simone de Beauvoir
bell hooks
Explanation - Catharine MacKinnon developed dominance feminism, focusing on how law reinforces male dominance over women.
Correct answer is: Catharine MacKinnon
Q.5 The Equal Pay Act of 1963 in the U.S. aimed to eliminate wage disparity based on:
Race
Gender
Disability
Age
Explanation - The Equal Pay Act of 1963 mandated equal pay for equal work, regardless of the worker's gender.
Correct answer is: Gender
Q.6 What does the concept of 'reasonable accommodation' in gender and law refer to?
Lowering standards for women
Adjusting policies to avoid gender discrimination
Special privileges for men
Ensuring separate facilities for genders
Explanation - Reasonable accommodation requires institutions to modify practices to ensure equal participation of all genders.
Correct answer is: Adjusting policies to avoid gender discrimination
Q.7 In India, which Act criminalized domestic violence against women?
Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005
Indian Penal Code, 1860
Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
Explanation - This Act provides protection to women from domestic violence in a broader sense, including physical, verbal, emotional, and economic abuse.
Correct answer is: Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005
Q.8 Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees equal protection under the law, often cited in gender equality cases?
First Amendment
Fourteenth Amendment
Fifteenth Amendment
Nineteenth Amendment
Explanation - The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment has been central to legal arguments on gender equality.
Correct answer is: Fourteenth Amendment
Q.9 The Supreme Court of India recognized transgender persons as a 'third gender' in which landmark judgment?
Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India
Nirbhaya Case
Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan
NALSA v. Union of India
Explanation - In 2014, the NALSA judgment recognized transgender people as a 'third gender' with equal rights under the law.
Correct answer is: NALSA v. Union of India
Q.10 Which case established guidelines against sexual harassment at the workplace in India?
Shah Bano case
Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan
Indira Gandhi v. Raj Narain
Keshavananda Bharati case
Explanation - In 1997, the Supreme Court laid down the 'Vishaka Guidelines' to address workplace sexual harassment.
Correct answer is: Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan
Q.11 The concept of 'intersectionality' in gender law studies was introduced by:
Gloria Steinem
Kimberlé Crenshaw
Angela Davis
Betty Friedan
Explanation - Crenshaw introduced intersectionality to explain how overlapping identities (race, gender, class) create compounded discrimination.
Correct answer is: Kimberlé Crenshaw
Q.12 In many countries, maternity leave laws are considered part of:
Labor rights
Criminal law
Property rights
International trade law
Explanation - Maternity leave provisions fall under labor rights, ensuring workplace protections during and after pregnancy.
Correct answer is: Labor rights
Q.13 Which U.S. Supreme Court case legalized abortion nationwide in 1973, later overturned in 2022?
Roe v. Wade
Planned Parenthood v. Casey
Griswold v. Connecticut
Obergefell v. Hodges
Explanation - Roe v. Wade legalized abortion, a key case in gender and reproductive rights law, though overturned in 2022.
Correct answer is: Roe v. Wade
Q.14 Which law in India makes sexual harassment at the workplace a punishable offense?
POSH Act, 2013
Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
Equal Remuneration Act, 1976
Hindu Succession Act, 1956
Explanation - The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, is known as the POSH Act.
Correct answer is: POSH Act, 2013
Q.15 The 'Nirbhaya Act' (Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013) in India was introduced after:
A dowry death case
A workplace harassment case
A brutal gang rape case in Delhi
A divorce case
Explanation - The 2013 Act strengthened laws against sexual violence after the 2012 Delhi gang rape case.
Correct answer is: A brutal gang rape case in Delhi
Q.16 The concept of 'protective discrimination' in Indian law refers to:
Discriminating against men
Legal measures to protect weaker sections like women and SC/STs
Economic reservations only
Religious discrimination
Explanation - Protective discrimination means using legal measures to uplift disadvantaged groups such as women and marginalized castes.
Correct answer is: Legal measures to protect weaker sections like women and SC/STs
Q.17 The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 in India gave daughters equal rights in:
Education
Parental property
Employment
Marriage choices
Explanation - The 2005 amendment gave daughters equal coparcenary rights in Hindu family property.
Correct answer is: Parental property
Q.18 Which of the following is a principle of feminist jurisprudence?
Law is gender-neutral
Law is inherently patriarchal
Law ignores power dynamics
Law is only about economics
Explanation - Feminist jurisprudence argues that legal systems historically reflect and reinforce patriarchy.
Correct answer is: Law is inherently patriarchal
Q.19 Which international document is often called the 'International Bill of Rights for Women'?
CEDAW
UDHR
ICCPR
ICESCR
Explanation - CEDAW is referred to as the 'International Bill of Rights for Women' due to its comprehensive protections.
Correct answer is: CEDAW
Q.20 In the U.K., the Sex Discrimination Act was first passed in:
1970
1975
1980
1990
Explanation - The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 made it unlawful to discriminate based on sex or marital status.
Correct answer is: 1975
Q.21 Which Indian case is associated with the right to privacy and its relation to women's reproductive rights?
K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India
Kesavananda Bharati case
Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India
Indira Gandhi v. Raj Narain
Explanation - The Puttaswamy judgment in 2017 recognized privacy as a fundamental right, impacting reproductive rights debates.
Correct answer is: K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India
Q.22 What does the 'glass ceiling' metaphor represent in gender and law?
A transparent wall in offices
Invisible barriers to women's career advancement
Equality in workplaces
Legal protection for women
Explanation - The 'glass ceiling' symbolizes unseen barriers that prevent women from reaching top positions.
Correct answer is: Invisible barriers to women's career advancement
Q.23 Which Indian law prohibits dowry?
Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
POSH Act, 2013
Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
Equal Remuneration Act, 1976
Explanation - The Dowry Prohibition Act criminalized the giving and taking of dowry in India.
Correct answer is: Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
Q.24 In feminist legal theory, 'difference feminism' emphasizes:
Erasing gender differences
Celebrating gender differences and valuing women’s experiences
Only men’s perspectives
Neutrality in law
Explanation - Difference feminism argues that law should recognize and value women’s unique experiences instead of erasing them.
Correct answer is: Celebrating gender differences and valuing women’s experiences
Q.25 The U.S. Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) legalized:
Abortion
Same-sex marriage
Transgender rights
Equal pay
Explanation - Obergefell v. Hodges established same-sex marriage as a constitutional right across the U.S.
Correct answer is: Same-sex marriage