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Source: Hindustan Times

Context

India recently ranked 131st in the Global Gender Gap Report 2025, indicating that progress toward gender parity has stalled.

India’s Progress in Gender Parity

Need for Parity	India’s progress and future depend on achieving gender parity; without it, the country risks lagging behind globally.
Global Ranking (2025)	Ranked 131st out of 148 countries in the Global Gender Gap Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum.
Comparison with Peers	India ranks below all BRICS nations and most South Asian neighbours (below Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka; above Maldives, Bhutan, Pakistan).
Pace of Progress	India’s drop in ranking is largely due to other countries progressing faster in closing gender gaps, not necessarily India's regression.

Key Issues Hindering Gender Parity in India

Political Underrepresentation

• Women continue to be underrepresented in India's political landscape.
  
  
• Despite the Women’s Reservation Act, structural barriers and limited political will have delayed its implementation.
  
  
• A very small percentage of ministerial roles are held by women, weakening decision-making diversity.
  

Low Female Labor Force Participation

• Women's participation in the labor force remains low despite gradual improvements.
  
  
• Factors like societal expectations, lack of childcare, and wage discrimination push many women into the informal sector with little to no social protection.
  
  
• The economic value of unpaid work by women is immense but often overlooked.
  
  
• Bridging the gender employment gap could lead to substantial gains in national GDP, but action has been slow.
  

Cultural Barriers and Patriarchal Norms

• Patriarchal attitudes continue to restrict women's mobility, education, and career growth.
  
  
• Challenges like the glass ceiling and glass cliff limit access to leadership roles, especially in rural areas.
  
  
• A significant portion of women do not take independent financial decisions, reflecting systemic disempowerment.
  
  
• India ranks low in global gender parity, especially within the South Asian region.
  

Gender Pay Gap

• Women consistently earn less than men for the same work, both in formal and informal sectors.
  
  
• This gap is especially visible in urban professional settings, agriculture, and domestic labor.
  

Education vs. Employment Gap

• Even though female educational attainment has improved, corresponding job opportunities are lacking.
  
  
• Despite producing many STEM graduates, women's representation in those sectors remains limited due to structural and cultural constraints.
  

Inadequate Maternity & Childcare Support

• Although paid maternity leave is offered, childcare facilities remain insufficient.
  
  
• Many women are forced to leave the workforce post-childbirth, hurting career progression and long-term financial security.
  

Limited Financial Services Usage

• Despite financial inclusion schemes, many women’s bank accounts remain inactive.
  
  
• True economic empowerment is hindered by limited access and usage of formal financial services.

Economic implications of gender disparity

• Economic Liability: This is a critical economic issue that goes beyond gender.
• The McKinsey Global Institute estimates that achieving gender parity in employment could boost India's GDP by $770 billion by 2025.
• Slow Pace to Parity: At current rates, achieving gender parity in employment could take another 135 years, representing a massive missed opportunity.
• Call for Policy Shift: This stark reality should prompt policymakers to signal a radical and urgent shift in national priorities to prioritize women's participation in economic development.

Role of the State in Bringing Gender Parity

• PM's Vision: The Prime Minister has repeatedly stated that women-led development is critical to India's progress, indicating a high level of understanding of its importance.
• Beyond Recognition: However, this recognition is only the beginning; genuine progress necessitates maximizing policy and practice to ensure women's equal participation in economic, political, and social spheres, involving both the public and private sectors.
• The State's Primary Responsibility: While everyone plays a role, the State bears primary responsibility for leading and demonstrating this transformation.
• Hesitant Commitment: Despite the rhetoric, the current commitment seems hesitant. While the pace of inclusion has accelerated in recent years, it is frequently "reluctantly conceded," implying a lack of full embrace.

Measures India Can Adopt to Accelerate Gender Parity

Implement Comprehensive Skill Development Programs for Women

• Launch skill-building initiatives in high-growth sectors like technology, digital services, and renewable energy.
  
  
• Focus on practical skills, entrepreneurship, and digital literacy to ensure better employment outcomes.
  
  
• Emphasize upskilling rural women to bridge the urban-rural divide.
  
  
• Promote participation in non-traditional sectors to challenge occupational segregation.
  

Enhance and Enforce Gender-Sensitive Labor Laws

• Strengthen laws on equal pay, paid family leave, and workplace harassment.
  
  
• Establish a national framework for flexible work hours and childcare support.
  
  
• Conduct regular gender audits of companies and impose penalties for non-compliance.
  
  
• Create a systemic shift for long-term female participation in the formal economy.
  

Strengthen Political Empowerment through Local Leadership

• Scale up mentorship and training programs for women at Panchayat, municipal, and state levels.
  
  
• Provide training in public administration, governance, and leadership skills.
  
  
• Cultural narratives (e.g., web series like Panchayat) can support awareness and change.
  
  
• Aim to boost female representation in higher political offices.
  

Promote Gender-Responsive Budgeting and Policymaking

• Institutionalize Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) at all levels (initiated in 2005).
  
  
• Conduct gender impact assessments for all policies and programs.
  
  
• Allocate financial resources for education, health, and employment schemes targeting women.
  
  
• Integrate gender equality into core policy frameworks.

Current Representation Gaps in Key Institutions

Civil Services

• 41% women in IAS and 38% in IFS; overall representation remains unclear.
  

Defence & Police

• <3% in armed forces; 8% police officers, 12% in IPS.
  

Judiciary

• 38% in subordinate courts; only 14% in High Courts, 1 woman in Supreme Court.
  

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)

• Never more than one woman member; law mandates only “at least one woman.”

Private Sector

• <2% women lead India’s Fortune 500 companies.
  

Tokenism Ceiling

• 33% representation seen as acceptable, masking the resistance to full inclusion.

Practice Question: Q. Examine the key strides made by India towards gender equality, the obstacles still hindering progress