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A Mul idisciplina y In e na ional Le el Re e ed and Double Blind Pee Re iewed, Open Access
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Women's Well-being h ough Indian Cons i u ion: A Re iew
D . Vijaymala Vi end a Chougule
P o esso , Depa men o Psychology
Jaysingpu College, Jaysingpu
Email: c.j[email p o ec ed]m
Manusc ip ID:
JRD -2025-170935
ISSN: 2230-9578
Volume 17
Issue 9 (V)
Pp. 142-145
Sep . 2025
Submi ed:15 Aug. 2025
Re ised: 25 Aug. 2025
Accep ed: 10 Sep . 2025
Published: 30 Sep . 2025
Abs ac : This esea ch pape examines how he Indian Cons i u ion has played a posi i e ole in he
wel a e o women and assesses he gap be ween he law and he ac ual si ua ion. The Indian Cons i u ion,
which came in o o ce in 1950, p o ides a s ong basis o women's igh s h ough undamen al igh s
(A icles 14-16), s a e policy di ec ions (A icles 39(a), 39(d), 42) and a i ma i e ac ion (A icle 15(3)).
Al hough he p og essi e gua an ees o he cons i u ion a e in place, he e a e s ill signi ican loopholes in
hei implemen a ion, which weaken he p ocess o con e ing legal en i lemen s in o ac ual imp o emen s
in he li es o women The pape examines how socio-cul u al, bu eauc a ic mindse s, and esou ce
cons ain s s ill hinde he e ec i e implemen a ion o women's laws. I also e iews how u al,
ma ginalized, and economically disad an aged women ace eno mous disad an ages in accessing
cons i u ional assis ance and wel a e bene i s. The s udy concludes ha al hough he Cons i u ion o India
has a p og essi e ision o gende jus ice, i needs g ea e empowe men o he implemen a ion s uc u es,
be e in e -ins i u ional coo dina ion, and long- e m socio-cul u al change e o s o make i a
ans o ma i e ision o gende jus ice in India. Resea ch sugges s p ac ical sugges ions on how o b ing
he cons i u ional p inciples in o alignmen wi h he eali ies o daily li e, and he p ima y sugges ions
should include he simpli ica ion o he adminis a i e p ocesses, e ec i e moni o ing mechanisms, and
pu pose ul collabo a ions be ween o mal ins i u ions and communi y-based o ganiza ions o p o ide
subs an i e women's empowe men and wel a e.
KeyWo ds: The Indian Cons i u ion, Women’s Well-being.
In oduc ion:
The well-being o women is a mul i-dimensional concep ha includes physical,
economic, poli ical, and social digni y. The Cons i u ion in India is he highes o de o law
made o p o ec he igh s o people and c ea e an equi able de elopmen . The Indian
Cons i u ion, adop ed in 1950, has a collec ion o p o isions ha a e undamen al igh s,
di ec i e p inciples o s a e policy, and undamen al du ies--exp essly designed o enhance
gende equali y and sa egua d women agains disc imina ion and iolence. Howe e , almos 75
yea s la e , he eal li es o women show ha he e we e s ill gaps be ween wha he cons i u ion
gua an eed and wha happened on he g ound. In his a icle esea che s a ed he ole o
p o isions o he cons i u ion in p omo ing he well-being o women in legal, socio-economic,
and cul u al aspec s, he con inued challenges aced, and he oppo uni y o how cons i u ional
implemen a ion can be s eng hened in e ms o achie ing subs an i e gende jus ice.
Cons i u ional Founda ions o Women’s Righ s
The co e o he cons i u ional obliga ion o India o he igh s o women is he A icles
14-16 ha s ipula e equali y be o e he law, and ou law any o m o gende -based disc imina ion
in ela ion o igh s o access o public employmen , educa ion, and poli ical pa icipa ion.
A icle 39(a) and 39(d) o he Di ec i e P inciples o S a e Policy speci ically encou age he
s a e o ob ain equal pay o equal wo k and o p o ide adul s he igh o an adequa e means o
li ing. In addi ion,
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C ea i e Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
This is an open access jou nal, and a icles a e dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion-NonComme cial-Sha eAlike 4.0 In e na ional Public License, which allows o he s o emix,
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Add ess o co espondence:
Vijaymala Vi end a Chougule, P o esso , Depa men o Psychology, Jaysingpu College, Jaysingpu
How o ci e his a icle:
V. V. Chougule. (2025).Women's Well-being h ough Indian Cons i u ion: A Re iew. Jou nal o
Resea ch & De elopmen , 17(9),142-145
O iginal A icle
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A Mul idisciplina y In e na ional Le el Re e ed and Double Blind Pee Re iewed, Open Access
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A icle 15(3) gi es he s a e he powe o p o ide special ea men o women and child en, opening he way o
a i ma i e ac ions like ese a ion o sea s in he local bodies and speci ic wel a e ini ia i es. A ew o he Sup eme
Cou ulings, such as Vishaka . S a e o Rajas han (1997), Joseph Shine . Union o India (2018), ha e b oadened he
cons i u ional command by eading be ween he lines he igh o a sa e wo kplace and in alida ing ou da ed laws ha
c iminalize he igh o eedom o choice in women. These ju isp uden ial de elopmen s highligh how he
Cons i u ion is lexible enough o adap o he gende issues o he mode n wo ld.
Li e a u e on Implemen a ion Gaps and Socio-Economic Reali ies
Resea che s iden i y signi ican implemen a ion laws ha weaken cons i u ional p o isions in e en libe al
legal egimes. Empi ical esea ch indica es ha social no ms, bu eauc a ic ine ia, and esou ce limi a ions a e ac o s
ha do no suppo he success ul implemen a ion o women-based wel a e p og ams (Rao 2014; Sha ma 2019). An
example o his is ha he p omise o land igh s as s ipula ed unde he Hindu Succession (Amendmen ) Ac , 2005,
which amended he adi ions ha allowed women o inhe i land, has been comp omised by low awa eness a es
among u al women and due o pa ia chal amily s uc u e. Co espondingly, e iews o he Maha ma Gandhi Na ional
Ru al Employmen Gua an ee Ac (MGNREGA) and he P adhan Man i Ma u Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) indica e
ha economic empowe men and inancial au onomy o women a e es ic ed by p ocedu al bo lenecks and delays in
paymen s. As s essed by o he au ho s like Menon (2021), women ha e been dep i ed o educa ion and heal hca e
p o ec ion because o hei o he social exclusions, e en hough i is cons i u ional ha hey a e equi ed o ecei e
hese p o ec ions.
Role o Cons i u ional Remedies and Ac i ism
Public In e es Li iga ions (PILs) and commissions like he Na ional Commission o Women (NCW) ha e
been c i ical in he necessa y cons i u ional ed ess o igh s abuses. Resea ch by Bane jee (2020) shows ha judicial
in e en ions h ough PIL ha e ac i a ed policy changes and ha e es ablished accoun abili y on s a e ac o s ega ding
gende -based iolence and disc imina ion. Ne e heless, ac i is s and schola s wa n ha i is oo easy o ely on
li iga ion because cou o de s do no ypically ha e s ong en o cemen mechanisms and end o ace delays in lowe
cou s. G ass oo s: These g oups include women, NGOs, and communi y-based o ganiza ions, which ha e a
complemen a y ole by c ea ing legal awa eness, suppo ing he su i o s, and lobbying o policy. This kind o win
ac i i y o he o icial cons i u ional channels and in o mal ac i ism poin s o he plu alis ic cha ac e o social change
in India.
Syn hesis and Resea ch Gaps
The cu en li e a u e highligh s a wo old discou se: he Cons i u ion o India p o ides a powe ul amewo k
o p omo ing he wel a e o women, bu he implemen a ion s a egy o en ails, p ima ily due o ins i u ional, cul u al,
and socio-economic obs acles. Al hough legal schola s ha e mapped he ans o ma ion o gende law, we equi e
longi udinal, mixed-me hods s udies o gauge he long- e m e ec s o cons i u ional in e en ions on all kinds o
women. The new challenges, including digi al gende inequali ies, clima e- ela ed ulne abili y, and he consequences
o new labou legisla ion, should also be examined in u u e esea ch h ough a cons i u ional lens. The pu pose o his
pape is o b ing oge he cons i u ional p o isions, judicial in e p e a ions, policy eali ies, and g ass oo s expe iences
o ha e an ex ensi e e iew o he well-being o women unde he Indian Cons i u ion. By so doing, i aims o inding
he bes p ac ices and o e cons uc i e ecommenda ions on wha could be done o close he gap be ween he
cons i u ional ideals and eali ies in he daily wo ld.
Resea ch Me hodology
This esea ch is based on Seconda y da a which includes he ollowing:
Cons i u ional clauses, Sup eme Cou ulings and signi ican legisla i e changes.
Minis y o Women and Child De elopmen , Na ional Commission on Women and s a e depa men o icial
epo s and s a is ics.
Resea ch a icles, policy b ie s and e alua ions s udies on women wel a e schemes ha ha e been published.
Challenges and Implemen a ion Gaps
Al hough he e a e s ong cons i u ional clauses designed o gua an ee equali y be ween he gende s and he
well-being o women, many obs acles and gaps in implemen a ion a e s ill p esen , ha ming he in e p e a ion o legal
p o isions in o he eali y in he li es o women. The main obs acle is he disconnec ion be ween design and he g ound
eali ies o policy. Mos o he plans, like ma e ni y bene i s, incen i es on educa ion, and inhe i ance igh s on land, a e
being designed a he na ional le el wi hou adequa e conside a ion o local socio-cul u al dynamics. Consequen ly, a
se o deeply ing ained pa ia chal alues and cas e hie a chies o en o e ide o mal igh s. Thus, women do no
ecei e he esou ces and se ices o which hey a e legally en i led. This p oblem is also inc eased by a lack o
awa eness abou igh s, pa icula ly among u al and ma ginalized s akeholde s, due o low li e acy le els and limi ed
access o in o ma ion. Ano he p oblem is bu eauc a ic le ha gy and adminis a i e blocks. Pape wo k in he
applica ion, excessi e bu eauc a ic p ocedu e, and s a sho ages in he home o ices lead o delays in paymen o
bene i s and us a ion among p ospec i e bene icia ies. In o he wo ds, slowness in handling ma e ni y bene i s
Jou nal o Resea ch and De elopmen
A Mul idisciplina y In e na ional Le el Re e ed and Double Blind Pee Re iewed, Open Access
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144
claims o land i le ans e s ends o pu women o claiming hei bene i s, which cancels ou he economic
empowe men impac o he ac ions. Also, a lack o consis ency in moni o ing and accoun abili y sys ems enables local
au ho i ies o lou he ules o edi ec unds, hus u he wa e ing down he e ec o wel a e p og ams. Resou ce
limi a ion is also he bane o he implemen a ion. Inequi y in budge a y alloca ions, especially a he s a e and dis ic
le el, is he eason behind insu icien p og ams ha a e no inanced o se e all eligible. The lack o in as uc u e-
lack o adequa e heal hca e cen es, access o sa e means o anspo o G ama Sabha mee ings o cou s, and access o
digi al se ices- p e en s women om enjoying he bene i s o legal and social p og ams. The lack o gende -sensi i e
aining o on line wo ke s implies ha in mos a eas, women who seek help migh be disc imina ed agains o ea ed
insensi i ely, which dec eases hei eadiness o in e ac wi h s a e mechanisms. The o he impo an gap is he
disjoin ed na u e o he o mal ins i u ions and ac o s on he g ass oo s le el. Al hough he Public In e es Li iga ions
and he Na ional Commission o Women ha e hei own unc ions in sp eading awa eness on sys emic ailu es,
implemen a ion o judicial o de s is usually unsuccess ul because o he absence o coope a ion wi h he ci il socie y
ins i u ions and local panchaya s. G ass oo s o ganiza ions a e o en poo ly esou ced o lack he expe ise in legal
ma e s o keep au ho i ies accoun able, which es ic s he abili y o ansla e cons i u ional wins in o a change on he
g ound las ly, he e is a lack o da a and insu icien e alua ion o impac s o s ee e idence-based policy changes. In
he absence o egula disagg ega ed da a on scheme up ake and ou comes, disagg ega ed by cas e, by class, by
geog aphy, and o he s, i is di icul o unde s and wha in e en ions bene i wha g oups. This cons ains he capaci y
o policymake s o op imize p og ams, esou ce alloca ion, and espond o eme ging issues like digi al gende dispa i y
and clima e- ela ed ulne abili y. To o e come hese complex issues, i is impo an o o ganize he join wo k o
enable he simpli ica ion o adminis a i e p ocedu es, o consolida e accoun abili y sys ems, o imp o e esou ce
dis ibu ion, and o es ablish e ec i e coope a ion be ween go e nmen al agencies and communi ies. I is only because
o closing hese implemen a ion gaps ha he cons i u ional commi men s o gende jus ice and women's well-being in
India can be achie ed.
Discussion
The esul s o his esea ch show ha he e is an un esol ed con lic be ween he cons i u ional sys em o India
and he ac ual condi ions o women in di e en socio-economic si ua ions. Al hough he legaliza ion o gende equali y
is i mly oo ed in he p o isions o he cons i u ion as well as his o ic judicial in e en ions, i s e olu iona y po en ial
is o en comp omised by sys emic and s uc u al ac o s. The obse a ions highligh he ac ha male ideals,
bu eauc a ic ills, and esou ce cons ain s con e ge o inhibi access o en i lemen s by women, which suppo s ea lie
empi ical esea ch indings on gaps in implemen a ion. The in e ac ion be ween he o mal legal sys ems and ac i ism
on he g ass oo s is p o en o be a key ac o o success. The p omulga ion o ju isp uden ial changes (like he
ex ension o sa e wo king s anda ds and he inhe i ance igh s) is only success ul when i is suppo ed by legal li e acy
campaigns in he communi y and long- e m ad ocacy. Ne e heless, such gains a e o en wa e ed down by he lack o
coo dina ion be ween s a e agencies and ci il socie ies. In addi ion, he lack o disagg ega ed, longi udinal da a o e s
limi ed p ospec s o ollow he p og ess holis ically and implemen in e en ions in ulne able g oups. Cope wi h hese
issues, a mul idimensional app oach is equi ed: o simpli y he adminis a i e p ocedu es, o inc ease accoun abili y
wi h he help o e icien moni o ing, and o s eng hen he ela ions wi h he g ass oo s o ganiza ions. B idging access
gaps can also be inc eased by s eng hening gende -sensi i e aining o he on line wo ke s and in es ing in digi al
in as uc u e. Finally, he cons i u ional p omise o emale well-being can be achie ed only h ough a combina ion o
legal changes, long- e m socio-cul u al ans o ma ion, and e idence-based policy e inemen s.
Recommenda ions
1) Dilu e and s anda dize Adminis a i e P ocesses.
Make i easie o apply and app o e women-cen ic schemes by minimising documen a ion, using single-window
clea ances, and using digi al po als o limi delays and ed ape.
2) Inc ease Legal Awa eness and Reach.
In oduce campaigns on legal li e acy in local languages by means o communi y cen es, women's sel -help g oups,
and online mechanisms o in o m women abou hei cons i u ional igh s, wel a e bene i s, and ed ess channels.
3) Enhance Su eillance and esponsibili y.
C ea e independen audi cells a dis ic /s a e le els o pe o m unannounced and egula inspec ions o scheme
implemen a ion and o icially elease a pe o mance dashboa d moni o ing bene icia y co e age and und u iliza ion.
4) Raise Budge a y P o isions and mobiliza ion o esou ces.
Gi e p io i y and ing- ence speci ic esou ces o women's wel a e schemes in s a e budge s and seek o es ablish
collabo a ion wi h in e na ional de elopmen agencies and p i a e philan h opies o inc ease esou ce bases.
5) Es ablish he Capaci y o F on line Wo ke s.
Make Anganwadi wo ke s, heal h pe sonnel, panchaya unc iona ies, and judicial employees ecei e compulso y and
igh s-based aining o make su e ha hey ea bene icia y women empa he ically and wi h unde s anding.
6) De elop Mul i-S akeholde Co-ope a ion.
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Es ablish ins i u ional coo dina ion sys ems ha connec go e nmen agencies, ci il o ganiza ions, and women's g oups
o co-de elop s a egies o implemen a ion, ack p og ess, and add ess local bo lenecks.
7) G ow Digi Ne wo k and Connec i i y.
To achie e his, in es in u al b oadband connec i i y, mobile kiosks, and digi al li e acy ini ia i es ocused on women
o make online schemes egis a ion and g ie ance ed essal, as well as access o ele-legal se ices, easie .
8) S anda dize G ie ance Red essal Sys ems.
In line wi h s anda dized sys ems, es ablish women- iendly helpdesks a he panchaya and block le els, whe e ained
s a will be p esen o accep complain s, moni o case de elopmen s, and o wa d hose cases ha will no be sol ed
o he supe io au ho i ies.
9) Assu e Da a Disagg ega ion and Impac E alua ion.
Fu he mo e, equi e scheme pe o mance da a disagg ega ed by gende , cas e, class, and geog aphy o be collec ed and
published, and independen e alua ions o be made o guide policy imp o emen s ha occu in an i e a i e way.
10) Publicize Legal G ass oo s Aid and Ad ocacy.
Fund and suppo communi y-based legal aid clinics and pa alegal olun ee s o help women ile Public In e es
Li iga ions, use NCW se ices, and na iga e he judicial p ocesses.
Conclusion
The Cons i u ion o India o e s a legal amewo k o p omo ing he well-being o women in e ms o equali y,
non-disc imina ion, and specially designed a i ma i e ac ions. The las 7 decades ha e seen a se ies o monumen al
judicial o de s and legisla i e changes b oadening he scope o women's igh s, wi h he enac men o sa e wo king
condi ions unde he Vishaka Guidelines o he acknowledgmen o equal he edi a y igh s unde he Hindu Succession
(Amendmen ) Ac . These changes suppo he dynamic na u e o he Cons i u ion o keep up wi h eme ging gende
jus ice demands. Ne e heless, he con inui y o socio-cul u al obs acles, bu eauc acy, and esou ce limi a ions e eals
a p o ound disjunc ion be ween he legal heo y and ac ual li e. This e iew has p o en ha e en hough cons i u ional
p o isions ha e p o ided a s ong no ma i e pla o m, hei in luence on economic empowe men , heal h secu i y, and
social au onomy is no uni o m in he di e si ied popula ion o India. The e a e s ill signi ican ly lowe epo ed access
a es by u al, lowe -cas e, and economically ma ginalized women o wel a e p og ammes and legal ed ess, which is
indica i e o es ablished pa ia chal alues and locally speci ic powe s uc u es. The discussion o implemen a ion
issues, including bu eauc a ic bo lenecks and inadequa e unding, disjoin ed e o s by di e en s a e agencies and
g ass oo s ac o s, is indica i e o he ac ha legal en i lemen s canno be used wi hou conce ed e o s o o e come
s uc u al ba ie s. Besides, he mu ual connec ion be ween he o mal cons i u ional p ocesses and g ass oo s
mo emen s is a signi ican sou ce o subs an i e change. Mo i a ions o policy change ha e been spa ked by he Public
In e es Li iga ions and commission-based in es iga ions, bu long- e m ans o ma ion will only be gua an eed by a
cul u e o con inuous communi y-based legal educa ion, a s ong moni o ing in as uc u e, as well as gende sensi i i y
capaci y building amongs he on line wo ke s. The lack o bo h disagg ega ed and longi udinal da a also makes he
calib a ion o policies mo e nuanced, which highligh s he necessi y o e idence-based p og am design and impac
measu emen . O e all, he pu sui o women's wel a e in India equi es a combined app oach ha would econcile he
ideals o he cons i u ion and he eali ies on he g ound. T ans o m he legal igh s in o ac ual esul s, i will also be
necessa y o s eng hen he adminis a i e p ocedu es, inc ease he accoun abili y egula ions, p omo e digi al access,
and p omo e pa ne ships be ween di e en s akeholde s. Localizing s ic policy en o cemen wi h socio-cul u al
ans o ma ion and da a-d i en adjus men s will help India ake a s ep close o ul illing i s cons i u ional commi men
o an inclusi e and equi able socie y in which e e y woman is able o succeed.
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