Miss Easther, a social worker, and I visited Sonagachi, one of the largest and oldest red light areas in Calcutta, in June '98.

Legal reforms have been at the centre of the agenda for strategizing gender justice in India. This has been so, right from the time of nine-teenth century social reforms movements, through the period of nationalist struggles, down to the contemporary women's movement.

Although female labour force participation is a growth driver, participation rates suggest a country’s potential for faster growth.