Family holds a sacred place in the lives of Indian women. The concept of joint families is still prevalent, where multiple generations live together under one roof, sharing joys and sorrows. Indian women are often the pillars of their families, managing households, taking care of children, and nurturing relationships. Social gatherings, community events, and festivals are an integral part of their social life, where they come together with friends and family to celebrate and bond.

The landscape of education and employment for Indian women has undergone a radical transformation over the last few decades, particularly in urban areas.

For centuries, Indian women lived within clearly defined boundaries. The pativrata — the devoted wife — was held up as the cultural ideal. Women were primarily seen as custodians of home, children, and religious rituals. The joint family system, while providing a support network, also enmeshed women in a web of obligations — cooking, cleaning, caregiving, and emotional labour that went largely unrecognised and unpaid. As one examination of women's domestic lives recently noted, "Unpaid domestic and care work of women is the backbone of daily life in an Indian household; it is the cooking, cleaning, caregiving, shopping, and emotional labour that make households run."