Indians are guaranteed the basic rights to live a dignified life – without any discrimination based on gender, race, caste, religion and other identities – under article 15 and 21 of the Indian Constitution. Likewise, the document also provides for the welfare, representation and wellbeing of women, by setting out the principles on which the state can frame laws for them. Under article 15(3), for instance, the constitution enables the state to make special provisions for women and children if need be to eradicate discrimination and enhance access to public spaces. Similarly, under article 16, women are entitled to equal opportunity for employment to any office. 

A number of women’s movements and struggles led by human rights groups with diverse communities urged the state to implement certain laws to protect women from various kinds of violence and cater to the dynamics of a time when rigorous practices and patriarchal systems continue to infringe upon the fundamental rights of women, having an impact on their everyday life.