Law, Equality, and Entrepreneurship Through a Gendered Lens

Abstract

An insurmountable amount of great research being done in academia rarely gets transformed into laws and policies. This can be attributed to the disconnect between academia, law/policy makers, and decision-making tables. A three-pronged approach to bridge the gap between academic scholarship, grassroots advocacy, and political activism could be instrumental in impacting socio-legal and policy reforms. Gender, as a social construct, has intersected since time immemorial with the way law and society have been organized. Law, as a hegemonic collection of practices and processes, has actively perpetuated a particular social order that did not go far enough in matching lived realities. This chapter begins with the author's efforts to examine family law and social inequality through a gendered lens by exploring marriage, divorce, and family entrepreneurship. It further outlines the ongoing debates about gender vs. diversity mainstreaming in policy realms. Lastly, it concludes with how these experiences drove the author's passion for grassroots advocacy, which finally led the author to political activism.