A Gender-Inclusive Legal Approach on Environment and Women in Rural India: A Nexus to the Concept of Poverty Feminisation

Abstract

Social and economic disparities still continue despite worldwide recognition of the gender components of sustainable development. Women are the ones that suffer the most and they make up an enormous percentage of the world’s impoverished people. The participation of women as major players in a sustainable economy and institutional structure will help in the transformation to a more equal and sustainable society. Environmental deterioration and displacement from their land, as well as changes in land use and agricultural, practises, have made the life of rural women considerably more difficult in India. This in turn makes them resourceless. The research critically analyses the current gender imbalances faced by the Indian rural women affected by environmental degradation, such as restricted recognition, privileges, and access to creative and productive programmes, all of which contribute to the feminisation of poverty. The research also examines and evaluates the vulnerability of impoverished rural women in India as a result of environmental deterioration. It examines the efficacy of India’s “gender engaging approach,” which aims to alleviate poverty, promote gender equality, and empower women in order to achieve the aspirations of the Rio Declaration, the Millennium Development Goals, and to protect their human rights, as outlined in the Constitution of India. This approach involves domestic policy and legislation, nongovernmental organisations, and self-help organisations of women, with a focus on environmental recognition, ownership, and responsibility. The research will also highlight on how law fails to address the gender inequalities that exist among individuals who live and work in rural India