India is a mother to hundreds of cultures that are subsumed in this nation. Whilst some have been more active in taking progressive strides to gender equality, others have been indignant and stood steady in tradition. Globalization has brought in mixed blessings to women in contemporary India. Because of globalization, women, especially in the urban India, have made great strides forward.However, there are still a great many difficulties that many Indian women face, which include poverty, female feticide, sexual harassment, lack of education, job skill training. This is especially prevalent among the majority of women in rural areas. Though some challenges Indian women face are similar to the struggles of women in the West, most have a uniquely Indian cultural component that makes the challenges worse and the oppression more intense and entrenched.

Vinod Kumar Rawat is Associate Fellow Varanasi. He has a PhD from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, with specialization in Women empowerment. He has published many articles in journals and chapters in books. His main research areas are urbanization, poverty, health, social exclusion and social protection programmes.