ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the transformatory power that spaces of nonformal feminist jurisprudence, the Mahila Panchayats (literally meaning “women’s local courts”) offer in cases in which women face domestic violence or other injustices in their matrimonial homes in low-income neighbourhoods in Delhi. The author explores how women in poor localities restore their claims over their household spaces by resorting to legal entitlements and also by forging bonds and networking with women in the neighbourhood. This is achieved through building on their existing capabilities and freedoms and working towards the creation of violence-free homes through the mediation and networks offered by the Mahila Panchayats.
