Answer

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995) marked a historic commitment to achieving gender equality, yet disparities persist in India. The Global Gender Gap Report 2024 ranked India 129th out of 146 countries, highlighting challenges in economic participation, political representation, and workforce inclusion. Deep-rooted social norms and unequal access to resources continue to hinder progress.

Despite significant progress since the Beijing Declaration, gender inequality persists in India

• Gender-based Violence Continues: Despite legal reforms, crimes against women remain widespread, with cases of domestic violence, sexual harassment, and honor killings persisting.
  For example: The rate of crimes against women in India (calculated as crimes per 100,000 of the women population) increased by 12.9% between 2018 and 2022.
• Low Female Workforce Participation: Women’s participation in the formal workforce remains low, with cultural biases and unpaid care work limiting economic opportunities.
  For example: The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24 shows only 41.7% of women are in the labor force compared to 78.8% of men.
• Educational Attainment Gap: While enrollment has improved, dropout rates remain high due to child marriage, poverty, and safety concerns.
  For example: The Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2022-23 reported a 9.4 % dropout rate for girls at the secondary level.
• Underrepresentation in Politics: Women remain underrepresented in decision-making roles, with limited leadership opportunities at national and state levels.
  For example: As of now (!8th Lok Sabha), only 15% of Lok Sabha MPs were women, far from the 33% goal.
• Health Disparities Exist: Despite progress, maternal mortality and malnutrition remain concerns, particularly in rural areas.
  For example: The NFHS-5 (2019-21) found 57% of women aged 15-49 were anemic, affecting maternal and child health outcomes.

India’s approach to women’s empowerment across health, education, economic, and political domains

Health 

• Expanding Maternal Care: Schemes like Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan have increased institutional deliveries and improved maternal health outcomes.
  For example: Maternal mortality declined from 130 (2014-16) to 97 (2018-20) per 100,000 live births due to enhanced healthcare access.
• Expanding Preventive Healthcare: Programs like Ayushman Bharat provide free medical treatments, but preventive healthcare measures, including regular screenings for diseases like cervical and breast cancer, are gaining traction.

Education 

• Strengthening Girl’s Education: Initiatives like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and National Education Policy 2020 have improved enrollment and retention rates for girls.
  For example: The gross enrollment ratio for girls in higher education increased from 22.9 (2014) to 28.5 (2022) under NEP-led reforms.
• Promoting Women in STEM: The Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) initiative promotes women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Economic

• Financial Inclusion Efforts: Programs like National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and UPI have enhanced women’s entrepreneurship and financial independence.
  For example: 100 million women have joined self-help groups under NRLM, improving access to credit and financial stability.
• Digital Literacy Expansion: The Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) has trained millions of rural women in digital skills, enhancing their access to online financial services and employment opportunities.

Political 

• Strengthening Representation: The Women’s Reservation Bill guarantees 33% legislative representation to empower women in decision-making roles.
  For example: At the panchayat level, over 1.5 million elected women leaders have emerged due to 33% local governance reservation
• Encouraging Women in Bureaucracy: Initiatives like Mission Karmayogi and LBSNAA gender sensitization programs encourage greater female participation in civil services and leadership roles.

Limitations of India’s approach to women’s empowerment across health, education, economic, and political domains

Health 

• Inconsistent Rural Healthcare Access: While maternal health initiatives exist, many rural women lack access to quality healthcare due to doctor shortages and infrastructure gaps.
  For example: The Rural Health Statistics Report 2022 highlights an 80% shortfall of specialists at community health centres (CHCs) in India( including surgeons, obstetricians and gynaecologists, physicians and paediatricians).
• Limited Focus on Mental Health: Policies emphasize maternal and reproductive health but neglect mental health challenges like postpartum depression and domestic abuse-related trauma..

Education 

• High Dropout Rates in Secondary Education: Despite improved enrollment, many adolescent girls drop out due to safety concerns, early marriage, and financial constraints.
  For example: NFHS-5 (2019-21) data shows nearly 23% of girls drop out before completing secondary school due to marriage or unpaid household work.
• Limited STEM Participation: Girls remain underrepresented in STEM fields, with gender biases discouraging them from pursuing technical education and careers.
  For example: The All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-2022 found that women made up 41.9 lakh of the 98.5 lakh students enrolled in STEM courses.

Economic 

• Unpaid Domestic Work Burden: Women spend significantly more time on unpaid domestic and care work, limiting their ability to join the formal workforce.
  For example: The Time Use Survey 2019 found that women spend 7.2 hours daily on unpaid labor, while men spend only 2.8 hours.
• Limited Workplace Safety & Childcare Support: Many workplaces lack gender-sensitive policies such as paid maternity leave, safe working conditions, and on-site childcare.

Political 

• Underrepresentation in Higher Politics: Despite local governance reservations, women struggle to gain leadership roles in state and national politics due to patriarchal structures.
• Proxy Leadership in Local Governance: In many panchayats, elected women leaders serve as proxies for male family members, limiting their actual decision-making power.

Innovative Strategies to Address Structural Barriers

• Deploy Mobile Health Units in Rural Areas: Establish women-centric mobile healthcare vans staffed with female doctors and mental health professionals to reach underserved areas.
• Strengthen Financial Incentives for STEM Education: Offer scholarships, mentorship programs, and internship opportunities for girls in STEM fields to close the gender gap.
  For example:  “WE-Hub” initiative in Telangana provides mentorship and technical training for women entrepreneurs, including tech startups.
• Recognize and Monetize Unpaid Care Work: Introduce state-funded caregiving wages or social security credits for women performing unpaid domestic labor.
  For example: Tamil Nadu’s Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam  provides monthly financial assistance to women performing unpaid domestic work.
• Encourage Women’s Leadership in Politics: Launch leadership training and mentorship programs for elected women to build confidence and governance skills.
  For example: Rajasthan’s “Prerna Training Program” under the Panchayati Raj Department, which offers governance training for elected women representatives.
• Expand Digital & Financial Literacy in Rural Areas: Provide low-cost smartphones, free data packs, and digital banking training for women to boost economic participation.
  For example: The “Internet Saathi” program by Google and Tata Trusts trained 30 million rural women in digital skills, increasing their financial independence.

“Empower a woman, empower a nation.” While India has made notable strides in women’s empowerment, deep-rooted structural barriers persist. A multi-pronged approach leveraging technology for financial inclusion, gender-responsive education, universal healthcare, and political representation reforms can catalyze true equality. A future-ready India demands policies that empower, not just protect, its women.

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