Laws protecting women are based on the belief that gender sensitive statutory laws can protect women better than the laws based on community practices of patriarchal traditions. However, in India these two sets of laws constantly overlap. This volume analyses the impact of such laws on women's rights and studies the interventionist role of courts. The essays explore the contradictions that Indian women face when it comes to choosing between the formal state laws and community based laws. They also examine how women negotiate spaces within their public and private lives. The book highlights the compromises women make while facing challenges from the State, community, and family. Focusing on the legal domain, the volume provides insights into the laws related to domestic violence, property rights, matrimonial rights, and rape. It also critically analyses the laws related to sexual morality by focusing on the recent case of bar dancers.

This book will be of interest to lawyers, social workers, human and women's rights activists, and policymakers. It will also be useful for researchers and teachers of law, politics, sociology, and gender studies.