Dr B. R. Ambedkar’s Vision for Women’s Emancipation: A Comparative Analysis of Manusmriti’s Patriarchal Framework and Constitutional Feminism in Contemporary India

Abstract

Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and a pioneering champion of social justice, fundamentally transformed the discourse on women’s rights in India through his revolutionary approach to gender equality. This article examines Ambedkar’s comprehensive vision for women’s emancipation by analysing his critique of the Manusmriti’s patriarchal framework and his subsequent constitutional provisions that established the foundation for women’s rights in contemporary India. Through a comparative analysis of pre-Manu and post-Manu periods, this study demonstrates how Ambedkar’s interventions, including the Hindu Code Bill, Maternity Benefit Act and constitutional provisions, created pathways for women’s social inclusion and equitable development. The research reveals that Ambedkar’s feminist ideology, rooted in principles of liberty, equality and fraternity, stands in stark contrast to Manu’s restrictive laws that relegated women to perpetual dependence. This article argues that Ambedkar’s multifaceted approach to women’s empowerment through legal, economic and social reforms continues to serve as the cornerstone of India’s journey towards gender equality, making him the true architect of women’s liberation in modern India.