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India ranks 131st out of 148 countries in the Global Gender Gap Report 2025, with a gender parity score of 64.1%, showing slow progress. Despite educational gains, economic participation and political empowerment remain significant challenges

India’s Rank Reflects Stagnation in Bridging Gender Disparities

• Low Economic Participation: Women contribute less than 20% to India’s GDP, highlighting weak economic empowerment despite policies.
  Eg. Female labor force participation remains around  25%, far lower than the global average, limiting economic growth.
• Minimal Political Representation: Women hold only 14% of parliamentary seats, showing limited political progress.
  Eg. The 2024 Lok Sabha had just 78 women MPs out of 543, reflecting persistent underrepresentation.
• Workforce Integration Challenges: Many women work in informal or unpaid domestic sectors, restricting financial independence.
  Eg. Over 60% of working women engage in unpaid or informal work, per NSSO data.

Role of state policy and Socio-Economic Interventions in Addressing the Gender Gap

State Policy Interventions

• Legal Protections for Women: States enforce laws enhancing workplace benefits for women.
  Eg. The Maternity Benefit Act, 2017 extended paid maternity leave to 26 weeks, improving maternal health.
• Political Empowerment via Reservations: The state facilitates women’s political representation through seat quotas.
  Eg. The Women’s Reservation Act, 2023 reserves 33% seats in legislatures, increasing women’s participation.
• Supporting Women Entrepreneurs: Governments create platforms to help women expand businesses.
  Eg. The Mahila E-Haat platform enabled over 10,000 women entrepreneurs to market products nationally.

Socio-Economic Interventions

• Women’s Collective Financial Empowerment: State policies promote SHGs for credit and leadership.
  Eg. The NRLM links over 6 crore women through SHGs, boosting microfinance access.
• Preventing Gender Discrimination: State initiatives target harmful practices like female foeticide.
  Eg. Haryana’s Apni Beti, Apna Dhan scheme provides financial incentives for girl child survival.
• Improving Maternal Health: States invest in healthcare to reduce mortality.
  Eg. The Janani Suraksha Yojana increased institutional deliveries, lowering maternal deaths.

Shortcomings in Bridging the Gender Gap in India

• Limited safety and mobility for women: Despite legal safeguards, persistent threats to women’s safety restrict their freedom and economic participation.
  Eg. A rape is reported every 16 minutes in India, and women face restrictions on night-shift work.
• Maternal health inequalities: Access to quality maternal healthcare remains uneven across regions, reflecting structural neglect.
  Eg. Madhya Pradesh records a Maternal Mortality Ratio of 159, significantly higher than the national average of 88, indicating poor healthcare access for women.
• Continuation of sex-selective practices: Female foeticide and skewed sex ratios persist despite legal prohibitions, showing deep-rooted gender bias.
  Eg. Haryana‘s child sex ratio dropped to 910 girls per 1,000 boys, with hundreds of anganwadi workers investigated for ignoring illegal sex determination.
• Underrepresentation in corporate leadership: Women remain significantly underrepresented in senior management roles across industries.
  Eg. In India, only 17% of C-suite roles and 20% of board seats are held by women, reflecting a persistent “glass ceiling” in corporate spaces.
• 33% comfort zone limits ambition: National discourse often stops at 33% representation, treating higher demands as unreasonable.
  Eg. Despite the Women’s Reservation Act (2023), calls for 50% parity in leadership are dismissed, reflecting a “grudging acceptance” of limited empowerment

A gender-equal India demands more than policy as it requires inclusive implementation, safe environments, and equal representation. Bridging the gap calls for coordinated state action, community awareness, and institutional reforms that prioritise dignity, opportunity, and equity for all genders across economic, social, and political spheres.

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