Critically Analysing Participation and Contribution of Women Representatives in the Making of the Constitution of India: Bouquets and Brickbats

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals emphasise need for women’s political participation and leadership. While the sex ratio of India has improved drastically since Independence, however, the political representation of women is yet to be realised. This paper critically analyses an under-analysed issue of great importance to gender representation and participation in the making of the Constitution. Despite enthusiastic participation of women in various spheres of India’s freedom struggle, the political participation was limited owing to the qualifications of the electorate that disenfranchised many women from voting. Ultimately, 15 women members formed part of the 299 member Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution of India. The Constituent Assembly Debates, other reports and literature are referred in this paper which (i) discusses the participation of women, including the women representatives, in the Constitution Making Process (ii) examines the evolution of the Constitution as a result of women’s participation with emphasis on the fundamental rights, and (iii) critically analyses the contribution of women members including concerns that could have been addressed more deliberately. This critical analysis provides a feminist perspective of constitution making and sets out a basis for better understanding of importance of gender representation in the Constitution making, how it structures the Constitution, and contributes to making the Constitution more gender-representative, participative and inclusive.