Answer: 

The women in 19th century were generally accorded a low status, with no identity of their own. The deplorable condition of women was viewed as a pressing social problem. Seeing women's poor plight, some social reformers sought to end the subjugation of women and criticized imposition of restrictions. 

Restrictions imposed upon women in 19th century India: 

• Denial of Education and Opportunities: Both Hindu and Muslim women were denied education which hindered their opportunity for economic and social empowerment. 
• Regressive Social Norms and customs: Social practices like Purdah, Sati, and Child Marriage were extremely debilitating features of Indian Society which hindered liberty of women.  
• Inheritance: While the Hindu women had no right to inherit the property, the Muslim women could inherit but only half as much as men could. 
• Widow Remarriage: The women were not allowed to remarry after the death of her husband.  
• Matters of divorce: In matters of divorce, there was no equality between men and women. 

Achievements of women social reform movements: 

• Abolition of Sati: Raja Ram Mohan Roy organized a movement against the inhuman custom of Sati and helped William Bentinck to pass a law banning the practice (1829). It was the first successful social movement against an age-old social evil. To raise status of women, Roy advocated for property rights for women and women’s education. 
• Infanticide: Cruel practice of killing of Infant daughters on birth was practices among some Rajput clans, Bengalis and some socially backward tribes. Regulations Prohibiting Infanticide were passed in 1795 and 1802 but were only enforced strictly by William Bentinck and Hardinge. 
• Women Education: Ishwar Vidyasagar was a staunch supporter of women's education and helped Drinkwater Bethune to establish the Bethune School which was the first Indian school for girls in the 1849.  
• Popularizing Widow Remarriages and Prohibition of Child marriages: The Brahmo Samaj debated the question of Widow Remarriage and popularized it among the Brahmos. Ishwar chandra Vidyasagar Played an important role in promoting Widow remarriage by linking its legitimacy to the sacred Vedic texts. After his prolonged struggle, the Widow Remarriage Act was passed in 1856.  In western India, Prof D.K. Karve took up the cause of Widow Remarriage and in Madres Veeresalingam Pantulu made significant efforts to the same cause. 
• Opposing Child marriage: B.M Malabari, a Parsi reformer, started a crusade against child marriage and his efforts were crowned by the enactment of Age of consent act 1891 which forbade marriage of girls below the age of 12 years. 
• Improved position of child widow: Pandita Ramabai promoted girl education and started the Arya Mahila Samaj in 1881, in Pune, to improve the condition of women, especially child widows. 

The 19th century was a witness to many such women reforms for the emancipation of women. But these reform movements had certain limitations. It could not reach the vast masses of the peasantry and urban poor who continued to live in the same conditions.