Womens Equality in India: Constitutional Provisions and Ground Realities

The Indian Constitution is considered one of the most progressive constitutions in the world. Women have been ensured equal rights and several safeguards through fundamental rights, constitutional provisions, and reservations in local governance. However, the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6) surveyed 716,397 women from 679,238 households. It found a large gap between constitutional rights and the real situation of Indian women. Data from NFHS-6 (2023-2024), Census-2011, and reports of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (2024-2025) are used in this study to examine issues such as education, health, child marriage, nutrition, economic empowerment, gender-based violence, reproductive rights, and digital access. The study aims to understand the gap between the constitutional provisions and the real situation of Indian women. This study uses a feminist perspective. It shows that equal rights in law do not always bring equal status for women in society. The findings show that women have made progress in some areas.

Keywords:
Womens Equality, Indian Constitution, NFHS 6, Gender Based Violence, Reproductive Rights, Child Marriage