15 June 2024 – The Indian Express

Women Empowerment in India

• The difficulty India has in its quest to become a “developed” nation by 2047 is centred around the empowerment of women. Socioeconomic development and women’s empowerment go hand in hand because gender inequality cannot be addressed by development on its own. Amartya Sen created the phrase “missing women” to draw attention to persistent gender inequality around the world.
• In order to achieve gender parity in socioeconomic results, India has to implement important policies as women are currently falling behind on a number of well-being metrics.

What are the main policies in place to empower women on the socioeconomic front?

Constitutional Actions:

• Article 14: Prohibits discrimination based on gender and ensures equality before the law and equal protection under the law.
• Article15(3): Permits the State to set aside additional funds specifically for women and children.
• Equal opportunities are provided under Article 16 with regard to public employment.
• Equal compensation for equal work is demanded by Article 39(d) for both men and women.
• Article 42: Gives the State instructions on how to guarantee fair and compassionate working conditions as well as maternity leave.

Governmental Programmes:

• The Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana gives self-help organisations and female entrepreneurs access to reasonably priced finance.
• Through education, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao aims to raise awareness and enhance the welfare of women.
• Mahila E-Haat: A self-help group and female entrepreneur-focused internet marketing platform.
• Mahila Shakti Kendra: Promotes business and skill development at the rural level by providing tools and empowerment programmes.
• Supports safe and reasonably priced housing for working women in cities through the Working Women Hostel.
• Housing under women’s names is ensured by the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
• The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act of 2017 required childcare facilities and extended paid maternity leave to 26 weeks.

International Accords and Treaties:

• The UN adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1979, which advocates for equal rights and the cessation of discrimination against women.
• India ratified it in 1993 after signing it in 1980.
• Adopted during the UN World Conference on Women in 1995, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action outlined goals for women’s empowerment, including economic participation (of which India is a member).
• Goal 5 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calls for gender parity and the empowerment of all women and girls by 2030, especially through measures pertaining to economic empowerment.
• What are the main obstacles preventing women in India from advancing socioeconomically?
• Establishing Social Norms and Patriarchal Mindsets: Women’s economic, educational, and mobility prospects are frequently impeded by deeply rooted social norms and patriarchal mindsets.
• In many regions of the nation, there is still prejudice against daughters and a preference for sons.
• Example: In places like Punjab, Haryana, and others, skewed sex ratios are the consequence of son meta-preference leading to gender-biased sex selection.
• Low Labour Force Participation: According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2022-23, India’s female labour force participation percentage is relatively low, at about 37%, compared to the global average of 47%.
• In addition, India has a smaller percentage of workers in salaried positions than Bangladesh and China.
• Women have been disproportionately affected by the transition away from agriculture and the rise of informal labour; many rural women are employed in this sector.
• Unpaid Care Work: Compared to men, Indian women are disproportionately more likely to be responsible for unpaid caregiving and household duties. Their time for learning, developing new abilities, and engaging in paid employment is thereby limited.
• According to UN Women, women devote over three times (2.8) as much of their day to unpaid caregiving than do men.
• Gender Pay Gaps: Gender pay disparities are substantial in India and can be found in a variety of industries and professions.
• When it comes to employment, promotions (the “glass ceiling” and “glass clip”), and pay disparities with men, women frequently face prejudice.
• India is ranked 127th out of 146 nations in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2023, having closed 64.3% of the overall gender gap.
• However, the nation has only attained 36.7% parity in terms of economic participation and opportunity.
• Lack of Financial Inclusion and Property Ownership: In India, just 20% of women own land or property, despite laws guaranteeing them equal rights to inheritance. Women’s access to finance and economic negotiating leverage are limited by their limited asset ownership.
• Data from the 2019–21 National Family Health Survey indicates that a greater proportion of males than women are property owners.
• In particular, 42.3% of women and 62.5% of men are home owners, whereas 31.7% of women and 43.9% of men are solo or joint land owners.
• Exposure to Violence: Women’s freedom of movement and capacity to engage in the economy securely are hampered by the high frequency of various forms of violence against them, such as sexual harassment and domestic abuse.
• In 2023, the National Commission for Women (NCW) received over 28,000 complaints about crimes against women.
• In 2021, housewives accounted for 50% of all female suicide deaths (National Crime Records Bureau).
• Limited Education: The total female literacy rate is 71.5% according to the National Family Health Survey 2019–21, which is substantially lower than the male literacy rate of 84.7%.
• The gender parity index at the elementary school level is almost 1, indicating that boys and girls are enrolled at equal rates. Higher education levels cause it to decrease, nevertheless.
• Limited Political Participation: Only 14.4% of women serve in the Lok Sabha and 13% in the Rajya Sabha of Parliament, which is a low representation of women.
• Although the Nari Shakti Vandana Adhiniyam 2023, which grants women 33% of the seats in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, has been approved, its implementation has not yet begun.

What Steps Can Be Taken to Encourage Women’s Socioeconomic Empowerment?

• Increasing Women’s Labour Force Participation: India may be able to achieve 8% GDP growth if women’s labour force participation (LFP) rises from the current level of about 25% to 50%. based on projections from the World Bank.
• The government ought to concentrate on increasing manufacturing capacity, especially in labor-intensive industries where women make up a sizable portion of the workforce, like light manufacturing, ready-made clothing, and footwear.
• To mitigate cost disadvantages, these labor-intensive industries could be included in the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
• India can also benefit from Iceland’s Equal Pay Certification, which requires businesses to attest to their nondiscrimination.
• Enhancing Access to Skilling: From the existing 17% of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to a far larger number of training centres solely serving women, there is a great deal of room for growth.
• Enhancing employment outcomes through career counselling, job placement cells inside training institutes, and using alumni networks to engage women as mentors and “role models” for female trainees could prove to be efficacious strategies.
• Enabling Women’s Mobility in Urban Areas: Cities in India need to be developed with a gender perspective in order to welcome, accommodate, and facilitate women’s mobility as the country rapidly urbanises.
• Due to the ageing population and quick changes in demographics, women will be able to find new employment in the care industry as well as be released from caregiving duties provided there is an excellent, publicly funded urban care infrastructure.
• Clean Energy to Fuel Dream Energy: In addition to production incentives that support the creation of new jobs in the clean energy industry, the government should offer consumers cash refunds when they acquire sustainable technologies.
• By taking these steps, we can lessen the time that women spend on things like cooking with dirty, inefficient fuels and increase their attention on their objectives.
• Creating Micro-credentialing Platforms: Create web-based platforms that provide stackable micro-credentials that are targeted at talents that are in high demand.
• With the aid of Generated AI, these short courses may be finished at your own pace, giving women the opportunity to learn useful skills without interfering with their work or child care schedules.
• Women-led Supply Chain Networks: Establish government-funded projects that link large enterprises and government procurement programmes with women-led self-help groups (SHGs).
• By doing this, women can increase their profit margins and have a steady market for their goods and services without the need for middlemen.
• It’s also important to support female-led startups. Take Falguni Nayar, a self-made businesswoman who created Nykaa, the nation’s first online beauty e-marketplace, to revolutionise the Indian beauty industry.