GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AND INEQUALITY AGAINST WOMEN IN INDIA: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

women.ABSTRACT
Gender-based violence against women remains one of the most pervasive manifestations of
inequality in Indian society. Despite constitutional guarantees of equality, dignity, and personal
liberty, women continue to face systemic discrimination and various forms of violence rooted in
patriarchy, social norms, and institutional failures. This paper critically examines the relationship
between gender inequality and violence against women in India, analysing how structural and
cultural factors perpetuate abuse in both private and public spheres. It explores major forms of
gender-based violence, including domestic violence, sexual harassment, dowry-related abuse, and
sexual assault, while examining the constitutional framework, statutory protections, and judicial
responses. The paper further highlights implementation gaps, social barriers, and intersectional
vulnerabilities faced by marginalised women. It argues that legal reforms alone are insufficient to
eradicate gender-based violence and that a holistic, rights-based, and transformative approach
grounded in constitutional values is essential to ensure substantive gender equality and justice for
women.