Nation-Building and Gender Inclusion: Exploring Women's Engagement through India’s Act East Policy

Abstract

The policy, which was formerly known as the Look East Policy and came to be known as the Act East Policy, began in the early 1990s, focusing on strengthening economic, cultural, and strategic ties with the Southeast and East Asia. Despite all the strengthening areas, there is a notable lack of inclusion of women in every field in this strengthening ties policy, where it acts as a research gap. This paper focuses on the exclusion of women and examines the potential role of the LEP in empowering women by analyzing the existing policy frameworks and the development initiatives taken up so far. A qualitative research method is employed using the Simple Random sampling Method in a particular area (Manipur), as India is a vast country. This study provides insights from women in a particular region from the northeastern part of India, exploring their current participation and the areas that need to be improved. The research finds that women are largely excluded from the direct benefits of the LEP due to limited access to economic opportunities and social norms. The major research gap in this paper is the absence of women’s inclusion in the policies and the insufficient representation of women in decision-making roles within the LEP framework. It further argues that addressing these gaps by pointing out the need for a gender-sensitive approach to ensure that women are not left behind in India’s regional transformation.