India’s Gender Gap in 2025: A Warning, Not Just a Ranking

A Suryavanshi IAS Analytical Blog for UPSC Aspirants

📍 Context: Global Gender Gap Report 2025

India ranks 131 out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025. While India shines in digital innovation and youth potential, it continues to perform poorly in:

Economic Participation & Opportunity (Rank: 143)
Health and Survival
Political Empowerment (improved but not sufficient)

This glaring gap is not just a social concern but a structural economic risk and development failure.

⚖️ What the Gender Gap Really Means

🔹 1. Poor Health Outcomes

Women’s life expectancy is lower than men’s
57% of women (15–49 years) are anaemic (NFHS-5)
High maternal mortality and lack of reproductive care
Skewed sex ratio at birth → Persistent son preference

🔹 2. Economic Exclusion

Women earn less than 1/3rd of what men do
Labour force participation: one of the lowest globally
Vast majority in unpaid or informal work
Missed potential: $770 billion GDP loss (McKinsey, 2015)

🔹 3. Invisible Unpaid Labour

Women do 7x more unpaid domestic work than men (Time Use Survey)
No accounting in GDP or economic policy
No public investment in childcare or eldercare

🔹 4. Policy Sidelining

Women's voices missing in policy committees and boardrooms
Gender concerns are marginal in budget priorities
Lack of gender-disaggregated data for policymaking

🧭 India’s Demographic Turning Point

Youth advantage peaking; by 2050, 20% of India will be elderly
Elderly will mostly be women, many widowed and dependent
Fertility rate below replacement level → shrinking workforce
If women remain economically inactive, dependency ratio rises
Impact: Fiscal pressure, social strain, and slowdown in growth

📚 UPSC GS Paper II/III Relevance

✅ GS II – Governance, Social Justice

Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections
Issues relating to women, health, policy implementation

✅ GS III – Economy, Demographics

Inclusive growth and employment
Demographic dividend and challenges
Human resource development

📌 Policy Recommendations

🏥 Health-Centric Policies

Prioritise reproductive and primary health care for women
Increase budget allocation in rural health and nutrition
Target anaemia, maternal mortality, and adolescent health

🛠️ Invest in the Care Economy

Build childcare centres, eldercare systems, and maternity benefits
Recognise and redistribute unpaid care work
Use gender budgeting and Time Use Surveys effectively

📊 Economic Reforms

Ensure equal pay and secure jobs
Support female entrepreneurship and access to capital
Promote remote and flexible work options

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Representation and Voice

Appoint women in decision-making bodies, panchayats, and corporate boards
Conduct gender audits of policies and laws
Encourage STEM and leadership education for girls

🌏 Global Examples to Follow

Uruguay and South Korea: Integrated care economies into national development
Nordic nations: Recognise and redistribute care work through policy

📝 Model UPSC Mains Answer Snippet

Q. "Gender equality is no longer a rights issue — it is an economic and demographic necessity." Discuss in the context of India’s declining female labour participation and demographic trends.

Answer Intro:
India’s demographic window is narrowing, and its economic future hinges on the full participation of women. Gender inequality is a structural development issue that affects productivity, fiscal stability, and inclusive growth.

🔚 Conclusion: From Rhetoric to Investment

India doesn’t lack frameworks — it lacks implementation and investment. Women should be seen not as beneficiaries, but as builders of the economy. Unless gender equality becomes central to health, labour, and fiscal policy, India may risk squandering its demographic dividend.

📌 For UPSC Prep:

Prepare notes under GS II: Social Justice → Women
Practice Essay: "Gender Equality: The Key to India's Demographic Future"
Use facts: NFHS-5, WEF 2025 Report, Time Use Survey, McKinsey data

Suryavanshi IAS

Friday, July 11, 2025