Empowering Women Boosts India's Economy

Summary of Key Points Regarding Women’s Economic Empowerment in India

• Current Economic Contribution:

  • Women contribute only 18% to India’s GDP.
  • Approximately 196 million employable women are outside the workforce.
  • Female Labour Force Participation Rate stands at 41.7%, with only 18% in formal employment.

• Government Initiatives:

  • Uttar Pradesh has launched the Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Index - the first of its kind in India.
  • The WEE Index tracks women's participation across five key areas:
    • Employment
    • Education and Skilling
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Livelihood and Mobility
    • Safety and Inclusive Infrastructure.

• Disaggregation of Data:

  • Most economic indices in India do not disaggregate data by gender, concealing systemic inequalities.
  • Highlighting the importance of gender-disaggregated data to identify participation gaps and systemic barriers to women’s economic contributions.

• Impact of Gender-Specific Insights:

  • Analysis in Uttar Pradesh's transport sector prompted changes like the redesign of recruitment strategies and infrastructure improvements (e.g., women's restrooms in bus terminals).
  • Despite over 50% female enrollment in skilling programs in Uttar Pradesh, a small fraction becomes entrepreneurs, indicating barriers to credit access and enterprise support.

• Need for Data Integration:

  • Calls for integrating gender breakdowns in management information systems across all government departments (e.g., micro, small, and medium enterprises, transport, housing).
  • Emphasizes the need to track a broader range of metrics, including retention, leadership, and quality of employment post-education.

• Reconceptualizing Gender Budgeting:

  • Current gender budgeting practices often focus narrowly on finance departments or specific welfare schemes.
  • Advocates for a comprehensive gender budgeting approach that applies to all expenditures across various sectors (education, energy, infrastructure).

• Potential for State Replication:

  • States like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Telangana have trillion-dollar economic goals and should leverage their gender dividends to achieve them.
  • The WEE Index can serve as a model for translating gender data into actionable state-level reforms and district-wise gender action plans.

• Future Considerations:

  • There is a need for a fundamental shift in how gender is perceived, measured, and addressed across all governance levels in India.
  • The WEE Index serves as a foundational tool that initiates visible measures toward mainstreaming women's contributions in India’s economic landscape.

Conclusion:

The Women’s Economic Empowerment Index provides a critical framework not just for visibility but for tangible action against gender disparities in India’s economic growth, emphasizing the importance of systemic change in data collection and application.