Zealous Reformers, Deadly Laws

This book by one of the pioneers of the contemporary women's rights movement in India combines insights gathered from deep engagement with the lives and coping strategies of ordinary women. With first hand knowledge of the workings of legislation and the law enforcement machinery in India, the author attempts to explain why laws enacted for the ostensible purpose of strengthening women's rights end up producing such dismal results. These essays exemplify a tenacious, logical, and sincere effort to understand what measures of reform work or don't work in the real world and the author's willingness to revise and refine her own assumptions and interventions in order to synchronize with the requirements and aspirations of India's diverse women.