In 2006, the Government of India promoted Aadhaar, a biometric identification system, which has now reached 650 million people. The aim of the scheme was to establish a biometric registry to provide a unique identity to all individuals, women and men, in the country.

It was expected that this biometric identity would help poor women and men establish their identities so as to access various benefits provided by the government. In conjunction with frugally engineered mini-ATMs (automated teller machines), it was expected to promote financial inclusion. The book looks at the gender dimension of Aadhaar, studying the (current and potential) impact of the scheme especially on women and gender relationships with the household, and on changing patriarchal social norms. This volume explores: Would Aadhaar help poor women establish their identity and, through that, secure their entitlements due in various schemes of the government?

Govind Kelkar is a senior advisor to Landesa, India. She formerly headed Women’s Economic Empowerment Unit at UN Women, South Asia Office, New Delhi. She has authored and co-authored 12 books, 48 research papers, and has been a founder-editor of Gender, Technology and Development Journal.

Dev Nathan is professor at the Institute for Human Development, Delhi and Visiting Research Fellow at Duke University, USA. He is also an editor of the series: Development Trajectories in Global Value Chains.

E. Revathi is Professor at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad, Telangana State. Her areas of research are: development studies, agriculture, gender studies and regional inequalities, with attention to land and women’s empowerment.

Swati Sain Gupta is an international development professional who has worked in and led several development organisations in Latin America, Europe and India. Currently she coordinates PLATFORMA, the network of European local and regional governments.