2019, Vol. 1, Issue 2, Part A

The equality of men and women in the matter of right has been established by a large number of the Constitutions, codes and laws. The real question is to what extent the legal declaration about the equality of the sexes has been effective in real life. It is globally acknowledged that ‘gender equality and women’s empowerment’ is at the core of achieving development objectives, fundamental for the realisation of human rights, and key to effective and sustainable development outcomes. The bitter truth is that in India, which still requires schemes like ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ against the most horrific societal discriminations like female foeticide, women are treated as ‘second class citizens’ and denied their rights; hence their political status has remained relatively low. No doubt, various constitutional amendments, Acts are able to create a political space for women but they are not capable to guarantee a non-discriminatory environment for women to participate. Constitutional provisions do not mean automatic enjoyment of the rights conferred therein. This study stresses that women are still second-class citizens in spite of the equal rights conferred on them and seeks to identify the challenges of women in political leadership positions in India, the largest democratic nation. Findings from the study reveal that there is considerable progress in women’s equality in the leadership role; however, there are certain crucial obstacles that still exist for women to be active in the political realm.