Gender Justice and Sustainable Development in India: Women’s Access to Justice Under SDG 16

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, recognize the interdependence of justice, equality, and sustainable development. Among these goals, SDG 16 seeks to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions. For India, achieving SDG 16 is closely linked with advancing gender justice, particularly in ensuring women’s meaningful access to legal remedies, institutional support, and judicial protection. Despite constitutional guarantees of equality and an extensive framework of protective legislation, women in India continue to face multiple barriers in accessing justice. These include socio-cultural discrimination, economic dependency, legal illiteracy, institutional bias, procedural delays, inadequate legal aid, and underrepresentation within justice institutions.This article critically examines the relationship between gender justice and sustainable development through the lens of SDG 16.  It analyses the constitutional foundations of gender justice in India, evaluates national legal frameworks and judicial interventions, and explores the role of institutions such as the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), women’s commissions, and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. The article further investigates persistent challenges affecting women’s access to justice, including gender-based violence, intersectional discrimination, and exclusion. Drawing upon international frameworks, UN Women reports, and recent studies on justice accessibility, the research argues that effective access to justice is not merely a legal objective but a prerequisite for sustainable development. The paper concludes by proposing reforms aimed at strengthening legal awareness, institutional accountability, gender-sensitive adjudication, and community-based justice mechanisms. Achieving SDG 16 in India requires a transformative approach that places women’s rights, dignity, and participation at the centre of governance and development processes.