Looking at gender through multiple lenses, this volume seeks to understand what empowerment really means to women today. It examines the situation of women in and their contribution to, politics, business, education, social and economic development, the women's movement, health, law, insurgency and the arts.

The volume analyses certain key issues of contemporary discourse including: ownership of one's body and freedom of choice. Redefinition of empowerment and leadership and how far we have achieved it

Importance of equal access to education, employment and health

Political participation and decision making and

Dichotomy between marginalisation of women on grounds of caste, class and religion in a society with changing laws on women's rights.

Table of Contents:
Foreword: Karan Singh
Preface: Omita Goyal
Introduction: Malavika Karlekar
Understanding Leadership: Lessons from the Women's Movement Devaki Jain
Revisiting the Theme of Women's ‘Empowerment': How Leadership Matters Padmini Swaminathan
Women Leaders in every Mohalla, every Village Renana Jhabvala
Rockets with Fire in Their Tails? Women Leaders in Kerala's Panchayats J Devika
Labouring Intellectuals: The Conceptual World of Dalit Women Gopal Guru
Czarinas or Girl Fridays? Women in the Corporate Sector Pushpa Sundar
Leadership for Women's Equality and Empowerment in Higher Education Karuna Chanana
Anatomy of a Change: Early Women Doctors Malavika Karlekar
From Dynasty to Legitimacy: Women Leaders in Indian Politics Sudha Pai
Other Histories: Gender and Politics in the Fiction of Mahasweta Devi Radha Chakravarty
In Her Own Write: Writing from a Dalit Feminist Uma Chakravarti
Catalysing Craft: Women who Shaped the Way Ritu Sethi
Leadership in the Arts: Rukmini Devi Arundale Ashish Mohan Khokar
Recasting Bodies and the Transformation of the Self: Women Performers in the Bombay Film Industry (1925–1947) Sarah Rahman Niazi
Ascribing Feminist Intent: The Invention of the Indian Woman Artist Deeptha Achar
The Alpha Songbirds: Independent and Vibrant Kumud Diwan Jha
Empowering Women through Education: The Story of Indraprastha School Aparna Basu
Gender and Governance: From Concern to Indicators Satish B. Agnihotri
The Movement for Change: Implementation of Sexual Assault Laws Kirti Singh aregivers
Caretakers: Dealing with Impunity and Immunity at the Margins Sanjoy Hazarika