Did Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Promote Women’s Rights In The Family Space?

 The views and actions of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar are well known regarding the caste system in India.  However, through this paper, the researcher aims to understand whether he played a role in the  emancipation of women in the familial space from gender-based oppression, as promulgated by  various Brahmanical texts like the Manusmriti. It was found that through his writings and  speeches such as “Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis, and Development”, “The Riddle  of Women”, and most importantly his efforts in the formation of the Hindu Code Bill, he was a  firm supporter of women rights in the private sphere, as well. In conclusion, Ambedkar believed that the caste system in India, in especially the prominence of  the Brahmins (the highest caste), continued to oppress women. He held the Brahminical  patriarchal system to blame for the oppression of women in Indian society. Ambedkar contended  that the caste system and the submissive status of women within it were maintained by the  Brahmins' patriarchal culture. He thought that Brahmins had created complex rites and customs  that prevented women from fully participating in social and religious life and criticised  Brahminical practises that disadvantaged women, such as child marriage, dowries, and the  seclusion of women in the home, in his writings and speeches. Most notably, his involvement in  the creation of the Hindu Code Bill demonstrated his steadfast support for women's rights in the  private sphere.