Women's Participation in Economy and Governance in India
Failed Implementation of the Women's Reservation Act
The Indian government was unable to secure parliamentary approval for the Women's Reservation Act due to its linkage with the delimitation bill.
Importance of Female Participation for Economic Growth
- The World Bank suggests that India needs to grow nearly 8% annually to become a developed economy by 2047.
- Low female participation in the workforce is a hindrance to achieving this growth target.
- A 2018 study indicated that constituencies with women legislators experienced higher economic performance by 1.8 percentage points annually compared to those with male lawmakers.
- The female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) increased from 33.9% in 2022 to 40% in 2025 but is still below the global average of 49%.
Strategies for Increasing Female LFPR
- Promotion of labour-intensive industries is crucial.
- An increase in female labor supply should not just be in response to relaxed norms but must be met with increased demand to boost employment and wages.
Disparity in Educational and Business Leadership
- Female representation in senior academic positions remains low, with IITs having only 14% female faculty, except IIT-Jodhpur with 22%.
- Female representation in top business roles is minimal; only 13 women fill high positions for every 100 men.
- Most leading firms have one woman as a director, but 77% restrict it to just 1-2 women.
- Only 7% of BSE 200 and 5% of NSE 500 board chairpersons are women.
- Critical mass (30%) is required on boards for effective participation and to avoid symbolic presence.
Conclusion
For India to achieve its economic goals, increasing women's participation in both the workforce and governance is essential. This requires structural changes across legislative, economic, and social sectors.
