Conclusion

The central finding of this book is that women negotiate rights in India not by performing victimhood but by becoming capable: deploying collective threats and doing the work of the state themselves. The conclusion considers the benefits and drawbacks of women’s capability. The author juxtaposes this citizenship model to victimhood, discussing how capability may create openings for women while simultaneously forcing them to take on a new dangerous burden of labor. The author ends by theorizing the broader implications of her findings and discussing why rights continue to matter to people when criminal justice institutions deny them justice.