Paradoxes of Empowerment Development, Gender and Governance in Neoliberal India

Celebratory new features about India’s thriving middle class tell only part of the story of the country’s recent economic rise, frequently glossing over the 300 million Indians who live on the margins and struggle to survive under economic liberalization. How do those, cast out of their country’s successes, perceive and respond to their position and mobilize against disempowerment?

Aradhana Sharma takes up these questions, focusing on the work of an innovative women’s programme called Mahila Samakhya, that is part governmental and part non-governmental and strives to empower those rural Indian woman who have been pushed aside. Detailing the awkward ideological articulations and paradoxical outcomes of this unique activist-cum-government organization, Paradoxes of Empowerment fosters a deeper understanding of development and politics in contemporary India.