POLITICS OF WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT: LEGAL FRAMEWORKS AND CHALLENGES IN INDIA

Abstract

The study examines the interplay between legal frameworks and political dynamics shaping women’s empowerment in contemporary India. Drawing on constitutional provisions, major statutes, national datasets and illustrative case studies, the study synthesizes legal analysis with political economy and feminist perspectives. It contends that India possesses an extensive formal architecture for gender equality, including constitutional guarantees, targeted legislation and local-level reservations, yet substantive empowerment for many women remains uneven. Main barriers identified are entrenched social norms, weak enforcement mechanisms, economic dependency, and intersectional disadvantages linked to caste, class and region. Evidence from grassroots reservation experiments and community initiatives reveals both promising shifts in public goods provision and persistent challenges such as proxy representation and inadequate party support. The study highlights gaps in protection against gender-based violence, low female labour force participation and regional disparities in access to services. Policy recommendations include timely and inclusive implementation of reservation measures, gender-responsive budgeting, institutional strengthening for law enforcement, expansion of formal economic opportunities, and community-level social-norm interventions. It concludes that legal reform is necessary but insufficient; sustained political will, institutional investment and social transformation are essential to convert formal rights into meaningful freedoms for all women in India. It advocates sustained, coordinated, multi-sectoral action.