Authors: NEELAM KURIL
Abstract: The rise of self-reliant women in India reflects a significant transformation in the country’s social, economic, and political landscape. Self-reliance extends beyond formal equality to include women’s capacity for independent decision-making, economic participation, and leadership across public and private spheres. Historically, women in India have demonstrated resilience and capability; however, structural inequalities, gender-based discrimination, wage disparities, and limited access to resources continue to restrict their full participation.Despite constituting nearly half of the population, women remain underrepresented in employment and political institutions. Expanding access to education, skill development, financial resources, and governance structures has created new opportunities, yet persistent social norms and institutional barriers hinder substantive progress. The advancement of self-reliant women requires not only supportive legal frameworks and policy initiatives but also structural reforms and societal transformation.Strengthening women’s autonomy, economic independence, and leadership participation is essential for inclusive and sustainable national development. A self-reliant India can be realized only when women are recognized as active agents of growth and equal contributors to the nation’s future.
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