RESILIENCE AND REFORM: UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES AND EMPOWERMENT

Women’s participation in the workforce signifies social progress, yet urban centers like Bhubaneswar continue to exhibit entrenched gender disparities. This study explores the challenges and empowerment of working women across organized and unorganized sectors in Bhubaneswar, focusing on employment stability, work–life balance, health and safety, wage equity, and institutional support. Using a mixed-methods approach with 300 participants, the research identifies persistent inequalities in job security, wage parity, and workplace protection. Guided by the Glass Ceiling, Double Burden, and Intersectionality theories, the study reveals that women’s resilience and coping strategies often substitute for systemic reform, sustaining inequitable structures. While resilience fosters survival, genuine empowerment requires institutional and cultural transformation. The paper recommends employment regularization, flexible work policies, strict POSH implementation, and gender-sensitive urban planning to promote equity and safety. Ultimately, empowerment must move beyond endurance toward structural change—enabling women in Bhubaneswar not only to work but to lead, influence, and thrive in a truly inclusive society.