Constitution give much importance to Women’s rights, It got covered through various Articles as below –
- Preamble: The Preamble of the Indian Constitution sets the stage for equality by ensuring “justice, social, economic, and political” and “equality of status and opportunity” to all citizens, including women.
- Article 14: Guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the laws to all persons, prohibiting discrimination on grounds of gender.
- Article 15(1): Prohibits discrimination by the state against any citizen on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
- Article 15(3): Allows the state to make special provisions for women and children, recognizing the need for affirmative action to promote gender equality.
- Article 16: Ensures equality of opportunity in matters of public employment and prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, or residence.
- Article 21: The right to life and personal liberty has been interpreted by the judiciary to include the right to live with dignity, which encompasses a range of women’s rights, including protection from domestic violence, sexual harassment, and access to reproductive rights.
- Article 39(a) and (d): Part of the Directive Principles of State Policy, these articles require the state to direct its policy towards securing that men and women equally have the right to an adequate means of livelihood and equal pay for equal work.
- Article 42: Directs the state to make provision for securing just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief.
- Article 51A(e): It is a fundamental duty of every citizen to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.