Women’s empowerment in India is deeply shaped by the interplay of caste, class and gender hierarchies. B. R. Ambedkar articulated a transformative vision of social justice that placed women’s emancipation at the center of societal progress. This paper offers a detailed and critical exploration of Ambedkar’s feminist thought, focusing on his analysis of patriarchy, his advocacy for legal reforms and his emphasis on education and economic independence. Moving beyond descriptive narratives the study situates his ideas within contemporary debates on gender equality and intersectionality. It argues that Ambedkar’s approach provides a comprehensive framework for addressing structural inequalities and continues to hold significant relevance in shaping policies, social work practices and feminist discourse in modern India.
Mane et al. (2026) studied this question.