Status of Women in the 21^st Century in India

Women constitute half of humanity and probably the better half. But to our utter dismay it is seen that humanity is depriving itself of a substantial strength from fifty percent of its constituents. It has been the case almost from the beginnings of civilized society that women were cast in specifically discriminatory roles and thus have never been empowered to contribute their best to the advancement of the society. This paper underscores as to what are the major bottlenecks which hinder women to a more emphatic participation in the affairs of mankind and how education, the government and other stakeholders including women herself can act as a catalyst to respond to opportunities, challenge their traditional roles and to change their lives for better living in this world and India in particular.