India is a country where women have been worshiped for thousands of years. Our culture has always been respectful to women. However, in the current times, women’s condition is not very good, and the government is working in every field to improve the overall condition (Government schemes for women empowerment). At the time when our Constitution was framed, the constitution makers saw the socio-economic disparity between the two genders and provided the proper social and political support in the Constitution so that this disparity could be eliminated. Since the inception of the constitution, various frameworks have been made by the government to work for the betterment of women. Various social welfare schemes are being run by the government to improve the condition of women in society.
The Constitution has protected the rights of women by providing different provisions in the Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles of State Policy, the Fundamental Duties, and reservations in elections. The rights and safeguards enshrined in the constitution for women are as follows:



Fundamental rights

  1. The state shall not discriminate against any citizen of India on the ground of sex.[Art 15(1)]
  2. The state is empowered to make any special provision for women.[Art 15(3)]
  3. No citizen shall be discriminated against or be ineligible for any employment or office under the state on the ground of sex.[Art 16(2)]
  4. Traffic in human beings and forced labor are prohibited.[Art 23(1)]
Directive Principles of State Policy
  1. The state to secure for men and women equally the right to an adequate means of livelihood.[Art 39(a)]
  2. The state to secure equal pay for equal work for both Indian men and women.[Art 39(d)]
  3. The state is required to ensure that the health and strength of women workers are not abused and that they are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their strength.[Art 39(e)]
  4. The state shall make provisions for securing just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief. [Art 42]
Fundamental Duties
  1. It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.[Art 51-A(e)]
Political Rights
  1. One-third of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every panchayat shall be reserved for women.[Art 243-D(3)]
  2. One-third of the total number of offices of chairperson in the panchayat at each level shall be reserved for women.[Art 243-D(4)]
  3. One-third of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every municipality shall be reserved for women.[Art 243-T(3)]
  4. The offices of chairperson in the municipalities shall be reserved for women in such a manner as the state legislature may provide.[Art 243-T(4)]
Legal safeguards provided in the law of the land to women will be presented in the next post (legal rights in India for women).