India’s economic growth depends heavily on women’s participation. Despite progress, women contribute only 18% to the country’s GDP. Nearly 196 million employable women remain outside the workforce. The Female Labour Force Participation Rate has risen to 41.7%, yet formal employment for women is very low. New initiatives focus on making women’s economic roles visible and measurable to ensure inclusive growth.
Women’s Economic Empowerment Index in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh launched India’s first Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Index. It tracks women’s participation in five key areas – employment, education and skilling, entrepreneurship, livelihood and mobility, and safety with inclusive infrastructure. The index integrates a gender lens into governance and policymaking. It helps identify gaps and structural barriers at the district level, enabling targeted reforms.
Importance of Gender-Disaggregated Data
Current data often lacks gender breakdowns, hiding inequalities. Without this visibility, policies cannot address women’s exclusion effectively. The WEE Index shows how data can drive change. For example, low numbers of women bus drivers in Uttar Pradesh led to revamped recruitment and better infrastructure like women’s restrooms. Such gender-specific insights are crucial for sustainable reforms.
Addressing Structural Barriers
The WEE Index reveals critical drop-offs in women’s economic journeys. Although over 50% of skilling programme enrollees are women, few become registered entrepreneurs. Access to credit is even more limited for women. This points to systemic barriers beyond participation. Data from the index guides policy to improve finance access and enterprise support for women.
Integrating Gender Data Across Systems
Scaling gender equality requires gender-disaggregated data in all government systems. Departments like MSMEs, transport, and housing must embed gender metrics. Local governments need capacity to collect and use this data for gender action plans. Tracking must extend beyond enrolment to retention, leadership, re-entry, and employment quality, especially after Class 12 and post-graduation when female dropout rates rise sharply.
Rethinking Gender Budgeting
True gender budgeting applies a gender lens to every rupee spent, not just to women’s welfare schemes. It must cover all sectors such as education, energy, and infrastructure. Without measuring gender impacts, budgeting remains ineffective. The WEE Index provides a framework for integrating gender considerations into financial planning and resource allocation.
Replicating the Model Across States
States like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Telangana have set ambitious economic goals. They can adopt the WEE Index framework to leverage their gender dividend. District-wise gender action plans can guide budgets, infrastructure, and programmes. This approach moves beyond intentions to concrete implementation, helping unlock women’s full economic potential.
Transforming India’s Growth Paradigm
India’s gender gap is longstanding but requires a new response. The WEE Index is a starting point to make women’s economic contributions visible. This visibility drives reforms that move women from the margins to the mainstream. Inclusive growth depends on recognising and acting on gender data across all governance levels.
Questions for UPSC:
- Critically analyse the role of gender-disaggregated data in formulating inclusive economic policies in India.
- Explain the concept of gender budgeting and discuss its importance in achieving sustainable development goals with suitable examples.
- What are the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in India? How can policy interventions address these challenges effectively?
- With reference to India’s economic growth targets, comment on the significance of women’s labour force participation and the measures to enhance it.
