About the Organiser
Empoweress is a peer-reviewed legal research blog focused on constitutional law, gender justice, and movement lawyering, and publishing rigorous, research-backed, and accessible analysis.
About the Competition
We invite original essays from students, researchers, and legal practitioners engaging with feminist legal thought in India. The competition seeks to encourage critical scholarship on gender, law, and constitutional justice.
Themes
Submissions may engage with any of the following themes:
- Feminist jurisprudence and constitutional law
- Gender justice and domestic violence
- POCSO and child rights
- Any topic within the broader scope of feminist legal analysis
Prizes and Recognition
- First prize: Rs. 2,000, a Certificate of Merit, and a 4-week Remote Research Internship at Empoweress
- Second prize: Rs. 1,000, a Certificate of Merit, and a 4-week Remote Research Internship at Empoweress
- Third prize: Certificate of Merit and a 4-week Remote Research Internship at Empoweress
- Top 5 entries: 4-week Remote Research Internship at Empoweress
- Top 10 entries: Publication on the Empoweress blog
- All participants: Certificate of Participation
Eligibility
The competition is open to all, including students, research scholars, academics, and legal practitioners.
Submission Guidelines
- Word limit: 1,500 to 2,500 words (excluding footnotes and bibliography)
- Co-authorship is permitted, with a maximum of two authors per submission
- Submissions must be original and unpublished work not under consideration elsewhere
- Hyperlinking of sources is preferred. Citations, if any, must follow Bluebook format.
- Submissions must be in English
- Formatting: Times New Roman, Font Size 12, Line Spacing 1.5, justified alignment; Footnotes: Times New Roman, Font Size 10, single line spacing
- The body of the essay must not contain any identifying information; a separate cover page must include the author’s name, institutional affiliation (if any), designation, email address, and contact number
- File format: .docx
- File name: [Author Name] — [Essay Title]
Plagiarism and AI Ethics Policy
All submissions will be checked for plagiarism. A similarity index of above 10% will lead to disqualification. The use of artificial intelligence tools to draft, rephrase, or substantially generate any part of the submission is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification. The competition upholds the integrity of original feminist legal scholarship.
Entry Fee
Rs. 200 per submission, payable via UPI. The QR code for payment is available in the submission form. Proof of payment must be uploaded at the time of submission.
Important Dates
- Last date for submission: May 5, 2026
- Declaration of results: May 12, 2026
How to Submit?
Interested candidates can submit entries via the link given at the end of the post.
Contact
For queries, write to competition@empoweress.site.
