Women’s Empowerment & The Constitution of India

Women have been exploited for ages in Indian Androcentric Society.As India was under colonial rule for about two hundred years, Indians were not in a position to think independently about the way of keeping women away from exploitation.After Independence, the constituent assembly began to believe that women should enjoy equal rights as much as men.The Directive Principles of State Policy outline the humanitarian and socialist principles that compel the state to elevate the status of women to a prestigious level to achieve a genuine social revolution.These principles mandate that the state avoid the long-standing practice of discrimination between men and women, secure all citizens' right to work, ensure equal wages for equal work, and make special arrangements, such as maternity relief, to provide women with a decent standard of living.The distinct empowerment of women, as reflected in the Indian Constitution, is a testament to the efforts made to uplift their status after Independence.However, due to a lack of acute social consciousness and proper education, this effort of the constitution remains far from achieving women's empowerment at the grassroots level.Yet, with the rise of conscience, there is a hopeful potential for women to be empowered and create an enlightened society in the future.Key Words: Constitution, Androcentric, Equality, Gender, Patriarchal, Equality of sex Humans are born and brought up in society.The influence of society is, more or less, seen in erecting individuality, character, and conscience.Indian society has been guided and controlled by males since ancient times.In a patriarchal society, men were responsible for ruling the society, making laws, and maintaining order.When men were dominating women only in the political domain, all other sectors should have to be opened for women.However, men with political power began to make laws in their favour, leaving women with little chance to demonstrate their power anywhere in society.Thus, the patriarchal society was gradually becoming an androcentric society, and women have been exploited for ages in society.In this way, social customs were established to favour men and keep women obedient to them.Due to sexual differences, men are not able to be pregnant and give birth to the baby like women, and so, they need the women under their control to have sexual enjoyment and progeny.Women differ from men in terms of biological features, physical traits, reproductive organs, chromosomes, and hormone levels.This physical difference is known as sex difference, considered a fixed attribute at birth.It is natural, and nothing is under control to regulate these attributes, so humans must give in to these in-born achieved features. Women's Empowerment & The Constitution of IndiaBrajagopal