Description

Laws, Justice and Rights for Women in the Modern Era
Editor: Prof. Dr. Yogesh Kumar Gupta, Ishan Ahmad and Premananda Murmu
Published by Universal Academic Books Publishers and Distributors,
New Delhi (India)
ISBN: 978-81-686113-5-1, 2026

Chapter 29

Strengthening the Women’s Rights through Constitutional and Legal Mechanisms

Aritra Acharya
LL.M. Student, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, Nadia, W.B.

1. INTRODUCTION

Women’s rights are an indispensable component of human rights and form the foundation of a just, equitable, and democratic society. The progress of any nation depends significantly on the status of women and their equal participation in social, economic, political, and cultural life. Although women constitute nearly half of the world’s population, they have historically faced discrimination, inequality, violence, and exclusion from decision-making processes. In India, despite constitutional guarantees of equality and dignity, women continue to encounter numerous challenges such as gender-based violence, unequal pay, workplace discrimination, limited access to education and healthcare, and underrepresentation in governance.

The Indian Constitution, adopted in 1950, established a comprehensive legal framework to eliminate discrimination and promote gender equality. Over the decades, Parliament has enacted several legislations, while the judiciary has played a transformative role in interpreting constitutional provisions to protect women’s rights. International commitments, particularly the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), have further influenced India’s legal reforms.

Strengthening women’s rights therefore requires an integrated constitutional, legislative, judicial, and policy-based approach. Constitutional guarantees provide the normative foundation, while legal mechanisms ensure enforcement, accountability, and remedies against violations.