Androcentrism and the metanarrative of patriarchy have traditionally influenced and shaped social behaviours, norms and cultural outlook. They have swayed the legal system, its language, legislations and policies. And in numerous situations, law and State policies cement the patriarchal and androcentric notions. Law can be an instrument of social transformation or a reason for social stagnation. There is an urgent need to modify laws to make them gender just, following the letter and spirit of the Indian Constitution and universal human rights values.

The Centre strives to revere the zeal of inquest and the aptitude of critical reasoning through dedicated research and discourse. It is in the furtherance of this idea that the Centre for Women and Law at National Law University Odisha, Cuttack presents this edited volume on the topic “Socio-Legal Androcentrism and Gender Inequalities”. Our endeavour through this volume of the Centre of Women and Law was to imbibe opinions on diverse areas of women rights and to contribute to the dismantling of the metanarrative of patriarchy which relegates women to the “second sex” and hinges her existence relative to the men. This edited book is an attempt to encourage contextualised discourse on the grave and contemporary issue of Androcentrism and the metanarrative of patriarchy.

—Centre for Women and Law

The Wave of Libertarian Justice and the Stagnation of Egalitarian

1. Law: An Indian Feminist Experience
—Prakash Sharma & Partha Pratim Mitra
2. When the Notion of Sacred Feminine Shapes the Gender Order
—Nivedita Bhanja
3. Theorising Feminism and its Legal Development in Indian Context
—Mitsu Parikh & Ankitashri Tripathi
4. Construction of Woman in Law with Special Reference to Criminal Law
—Ved Kumari 
5. Construction of “Home” in Colonial and Post-Colonial Law
—Priya Mathur
6. Gender Equality: A Lived Reality?
—Pearl Monteiro
7. Transformative Interpretation of Indian Constitution on LGBT Rights
—Sushmita Das & Shubhang Gomasta
8. Recognition of Fundamental Rights and Protection of Third Gender in South Asia: A Case Study of India and Pakistan
—Muhammad Imran Ali
9. Gender Justice vs. Property Rights Under Hindu Succession Amendment Act
—Apeksha Kumari
10. Grapes of Wrath – The Indian Fiasco
—Noyel Sebastian & Steny Rapheal
11. Legal Conundrums on Electoral Representation of Woman: A Critique
—Abhinav Kumar & Maanish Choudhary 
12. Laws Relating to Sexual Exploitation: A Quest for Gender Neutral Laws
—Smitha S. Koujalagi
13. Surrogacy in India: Beyond the Debate of “for Love or for Money”
—Snigdha Singh
14. Surveillance in the Abortion Rights Discourse: A Foucauldian Socio-Legal Perspective
—Sanghamitra Baladhikari
15. Violence and Restriction of Choice for Women: An Analysis through the Lens of Honour
—Punkhuri Kumar
16. Dilemmas of Responses to Victims of Rape – Psycho-Social and Legal Implications in the Indian Scenario
—Paromita Chattoraj & Sanjukta Sen
17. Brutal, Criminal and Regressive: A Study of Female Genital Mutilation in India
—Vaishnavi Ranjana