Here are The Hidden Costs of Gender Inequality in India’s Growth Story
Not long ago, India stood proud and tall among the fast-growing economies of paper but still has some of the widest gender gaps with regard to participating in work, representation, and access. Even while the country celebrates its entrepreneurship and digital transformation, millions of able women remain virtually excluded from the story of the economy. Because this exclusion is an issue at social levels, it is that much of an economic burden with far-reaching ramifications.
The Economic Penalty of Not Hiding Women
Studies show that participation in the labor force proportional to that of men will add almost 25% to India’s GDP-with the slow but steady decline seen during the last decade from threats, intimidation, inadequate safety infrastructure for child-care and flexible work policies, all within the greater context of reinforced cultural norms putting almost all domestic responsibilities on women. The engine of growth becomes lumbering and weak without the input of half the population.
An Inordinate Burden of Unpaid Carework
Indian women perform nearly ten times as much unpaid care and domestic work as men do. This work remains unqualified in economic calculations to the tune of billions and billions of dollars per year. A woman’s projected future education, entrepreneurship, and skilled job all come to naught through this unrecognized service. Women are denied their right to attain economic independence and are prevented from breaking the cycle of dependency when care is neither acknowledged nor shared.
Force-Education Against the Freedom of Empowerment
But it does not end with educating girls. The quantitative leap in the education of the girl child, especially in higher education, has not found a qualitative leap in jobs. Social norms and workplace bias impede women’s access from industry to leadership position. The absence of integrity-based economic independence for careful-educated, brilliant young women contradicts and undermines the national efforts of development.
Corporate Governance Gaps
Women in Indian corporates are fewer than men in those slots qualifying as senior management. Stereotyping women as risky proposition investments regarding marital status, motherhood, and caregiving is probably contributing to this fact. Then, even after making it into corporate offices, women’s advancement is stunted by low levels of mobility into challenging roles portfolios, and underrepresentation at the board level. Unsurprisingly, it has opened the way for leadership that is decidedly lacking in diversified thought, innovation, and empathy.
Survival and Mobility: Barriers Embodied in Life
Gender inequality in India has its foundations built on safety and mobility. With extensive insecurity in public spaces, it makes it difficult for many women to travel alone to their work or to studies. Harassment is not just a personal fear; it is part of productivity, accessibility of opportunities, and choice of careers. The country will make no progress if women do not feel secure moving out of their homes.
Entrepreneurship: Potential but No Investment
That’s where the difficulty lies in getting the funds; it is indeed a hurdle for women entrepreneurs seeking to obtain funding in India. Even though the number of women-owned businesses has increased, still venture capital from the industry investing in female founders constitutes not more than a minuscule percentage of it. Their scaling power is curtailed by gender bias in funding decisions and lack of mentorship networks. Each time a potential woman-led company is ignored based on perception rather than merit, India loses innovation.
Conclusion: India will attain its optimum economic potential only after gender inequality gets ingrained into our social-educational-professional-financial systems. Empowerment is not charity; it is smart economics. Now, policies have to move beyond symbolic inclusion-to structural support: childcare infrastructure, safe mobility, equal pay, access to funding, and gender-neutral work culture. India of the future will be the nation where women will not be required to ask for space as they will have led to change.
Add comment