Gender Inequality and Gender Justice in Contemporary India:- A Sociological Analysis of Structural Constraints, Unpaid Work and Substantive Equality

Amita Gautam; Lajwant Singh

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i05.90305

Gender Inequality and Gender Justice in Contemporary India:- A Sociological Analysis of Structural Constraints, Unpaid Work and Substantive Equality

Author(s)	Ms. Amita Gautam, Prof. Dr. Lajwant Singh
Country	India
Abstract	In India, gender inequality manifests not merely through unequal results within a single social system but also through interconnections between family relations, socialization of gender, employment, unpaid care work, education, practices of social institutions, and possible cultural expectations. The paper analyzes the question of gender inequality and gender justice in India today by focusing on social constructs that shape everyday opportunities, responsibilities, and authorities. In this regard, the analysis combines sociology and inter-disciplinary research with empirical materials from official Indian sources and gender-data worldwide. The analysis pays special attention to unpaid domestic work and care work, economic activities, decision-making, equality of institutions as well as the intersectionality of gender with caste, class, place of living, age, disability, etc. Time-use statistics show significant gender segregation in unpaid domestic and caregiving work, while recent peer-reviewed articles show that unpaid care work may limit women’s participation on the labor market and affect their well-being. The analysis proves that legal equality is necessary but does not eliminate inequality as long as the social institutions distribute time, resources, power, and responsibilities for care differently. Therefore, the idea of gender justice is developed as a multidimensional process which includes rights, resources, representation, recognition, redistribution, autonomy, and institutional accountability. Thus, the paper argues that gender justice cannot only be measured based on the number of women participating, but one must ask what social and institutional circumstances made that participation possible.
Keywords	Keywords: Gender Inequality, Gender Justice, Patriarchy, Gender Socialization, Unpaid Care Work, Substantive Equality, Intersectionality, Women's Empowerment, India
Field	Sociology > Politics
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-10-24
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i05.90305

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Gender Inequality and Gender Justice in Contemporary India:- A Sociological Analysis of Structural Constraints, Unpaid Work and Substantive Equality

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