Understanding India’s gender gap: one step forward, two steps back

Last month, Rekha Gupta was appointed Delhi’s Chief Minister. This marks the fourth time a woman has been appointed chief minister of the national capital. One would think it is a significant step towards gender parity in Indian politics. However, data shows that women’s political participation in India is actually declining.

In 2024, we had a score of 0.251 (between 0-1, 0 being the worst and 1 being the best) on women’s political empowerment, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index. This is down from 0.382 in 2018.

Other markers of the country’s progress towards gender equality, as determined by economic opportunities, education and health, also show mixed trends on the index. This International Women’s Day 2025, we examine where Indian women stand on key progress indicators.

The burden of unpaid domestic labour 

The Covid-19 outbreak had a significant impact on economic opportunities for women. Data shows that post-Covid, women’s economic participation is now moving upward, and is almost back to pre-pandemic levels, with a score of 0.398 on economic opportunities. There is also an upward trend for women’s education and health. However, at a global level, India still ranks abysmally low in terms of women’s economic participation and opportunities, at 142 out of 146 countries. 

According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (2020-21), Bihar, the third-most populous state in India, recorded the lowest female labour force participation rate (LFPR) in the country at 10.9%, significantly less than the national average of 35.2%. 

The data indicates that employment loss trends for women in Bihar and India are similar, but worse in rural areas. Women in India perform essential household unpaid work, unrecognised in labor statistics. This invisibility gives men a hidden advantage in the job market, reinforcing gender disparities.

Data shows that women's LFPR (15-59 years) is much lower than men. Furthermore, fewer urban women participate in the workforce compared to rural women in India.

The gap between the participation of men and women in the workforce is three times higher in Bihar as compared to India, in both rural and urban areas. Evidently, the responsibility of unpaid work falls overwhelmingly on women in the state and can be considered a key reason behind the low workforce participation rates of women in Bihar.

Childcare and family support play an important role in a woman's decision to join the labour market. The participation of women in the labour force is negatively associated with the presence of young children in the household. 

In 2018-19, only about a quarter of married women in India (aged 25-55 years) with young children participated in the job market. This was down from over a third in 2011-12. Women’s labour force participation rises without young children at home. Interestingly, having elderly household members further increases their chances of working, as childcare and domestic tasks are shared, freeing women’s time for paid employment in both rural and urban areas.

When childcare and domestic support is not available, women continue to be outside the workforce. As families have become more nuclear, especially in urban areas, women have less help at home, and therefore less time for paid work. The pan-India Time Use Survey last released in 2019 confirms the same, by providing information about the activities performed by every individual, and the time spent in all of these activities.

If unpaid work is included in the formal definition of work, more women than men contribute in India, including Bihar. Therefore, redefining “economic activities” is crucial for recognising women’s unpaid labor. Deep-rooted gender norms limit opportunities for women, reinforcing discrimination and affecting women's empowerment.

Indian women in politics: a worrying decline 

Overall, women do not fare very well in political representation in the country. In 2024, nearly one-third of all seats had no female candidates. Additionally, out of the 391 seats where female candidates contested, only 74 secured election. This gap needs to be addressed urgently, because when women are politically empowered, there are economic benefits to nations. According to a McKinsey Global Institute 2015 report, closing gender gaps in employment, including political leadership, could add $28 trillion to the global GDP by 2025. 

We can also take a cue from initiatives around the world to improve gender parity. For instance, Iceland, the world’s most gender-neutral country, passed the Gender Equality Act in 2000, ensuring equal access to education, employment, and politics. It mandates companies and government agencies to promote workplace equality by having equal members of men and women in leadership roles.

Similarly, in 2015, Nepal mandated that at least one-third of the members of the federal parliament must be women. Additionally, the country has also reserved 33% of seats in local governments for women. India had made an early start in 1992 by reserving 1/3rd of the seats for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies, but passed the Women’s Reservation Act only in 2023. The Act reserves one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha, State legislative assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.  

The way forward

Some steps have been taken in India too. Government initiatives to boost women's economic participation include Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (education for girls), Mahila E-Haat (online platform for women entrepreneurs), Stand Up India (loans for women-led businesses), and MUDRA Yojana (microfinance for small businesses). The National Rural Livelihood Mission supports women’s self-help groups, while the Working Women Hostel Scheme ensures safe housing. Policies like PMUY and Bihar’s piped water scheme reduce domestic burdens.

However, true progress requires not only policies but also a shift in societal attitudes toward women’s roles. To truly empower women and ensure gender justice, their unpaid labour must be recognised, and steps taken to offer them support for childcare and domestic responsibilities. Workplaces can have childcare facilities, making it easier for women with young children to continue working.

As for political representation, as Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, ‘Women belong in all places where decisions are made’. When women are given equal opportunities to contest and win elections, only then can they find a voice in decision-making spheres. Until then, gender equality in India will remain an unfulfilled goal.

(Bushra Ansari is Senior Data Analyst with ISDM DataSights, a unified SDG data platform supported by Capgemini. Kshitij Sawargi is Consultant with ISDM DataSights.)

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)