Amazon.com description: Product Description: In India's political, economic, and social spheres, the Constitution confers equal rights and opportunities to men and women. Efforts are being made to ensure gender equality within the policy framework of the National Policy for the Empowerment of Women (2001). India's commitment to gender equality is further evidenced by the fact that it is a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which was ratified in 1993. The most significant achievement of recent years has been to reserve one-third of the seats for women in panchayats (village councils) and local bodies through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments. This has brought about a million women into positions of decision-making and has contributed significantly to the political empowerment of women. India's Human Development Reports have emerged as a powerful tool for the advocacy of gender justice since their inception in 1995. This book contains eight essays, authored by eminent scholars, on different facets of women's involvement in the Indian economy. It also includes details from India's Eleventh Five Year Plan concerning welfare, development, and empowerment of women in India.