India’s Gender Gap: A Human Call for Change

By Chetna Gill

Cover Image Attribute: Pixabay

India is a land of vibrant contrasts—a nation powering forward as a global economic force, a hub of digital innovation, and home to the world’s largest youth population. Yet, beneath this dynamic surface lies a quieter, more troubling reality. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report for 2025 ranks India 131st out of 148 countries, with a gender parity score of just 64.4%. This is more than a number—it’s a story of millions of women whose potential remains untapped, whose voices are often unheard, and whose health and opportunities are constrained by systems that haven’t kept pace with the country’s ambitions. While India has made small strides, slipping three spots from 2024 despite a slight 0.3-point gain, the report is a stark reminder that gender equality isn’t just a moral issue—it’s a cornerstone of India’s future. 
Imagine a young woman in a rural village, balancing household chores with her dreams of a career. She’s one of millions who face barriers not just in finding work but in staying healthy enough to pursue it. India’s score of 40.7% in Economic Participation and Opportunity, up 0.9 points from last year, shows a flicker of progress. Women now earn 29.9% of what men do, a slight improvement from 28.6%. But for every rupee a man earns, she’s still taking home less than a third. Her labor force participation, stuck at 45.9%, hasn’t budged from its peak, and it’s hard to ignore what this means for families, communities, and the economy. A decade ago, the McKinsey Global Institute estimated that closing gender gaps could add $770 billion to India’s GDP by 2025. That milestone has passed, and the gap remains wide. At this pace, it could take over a century for women to stand on equal economic footing with men. 
The weight of unpaid work is a big part of her story. Indian women spend nearly seven times longer than men on domestic tasks—cooking, cleaning, caring for children or elders—according to the Time Use Survey. This isn’t just time spent; it’s time stolen from education, jobs, or rest. It’s work that keeps homes running but goes unseen in economic ledgers. Imagine if she had access to affordable childcare or elder care services. Countries like Uruguay and South Korea have shown how investing in these systems can free women to join the workforce, boosting both families and economies. In India, the lack of such support feels like a missed opportunity, a gap in policy that keeps women on the margins. 
Then there’s her health, another piece of the puzzle. The report points to India’s skewed sex ratio at birth, one of the worst globally, rooted in a cultural preference for sons. Women’s healthy life expectancy has slipped below men’s, a troubling shift. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 reveals that 57% of women aged 15 to 49 are anaemic, a condition that saps their energy, clouds their focus, and complicates pregnancies. This isn’t just a medical issue—it’s a barrier to learning, working, and thriving. For women in rural or low-income communities, access to basic healthcare and nutrition is often out of reach. More funding for primary care could change this, giving women like her a chance to stay healthy and build a future. Without it, economic progress is a distant dream. 
Education offers a brighter note. With a 97.1% score in Educational Attainment, India is closing gaps in literacy and tertiary enrollment for women. Picture her in a classroom, eager to learn, her aspirations taking shape. These gains are real and worth celebrating quietly, but they’re only part of the equation. If she’s too unwell to work or tied to endless household duties, her degree gathers dust. Education can open doors, but only if other barriers don’t lock them shut. 
Her voice in decision-making is another gap. In Political Empowerment, India’s score fell by 0.6 points. Women make up just 13.8% of parliament, down from 14.7% last year, and only 5.6% of ministerial roles, a drop from 6.5%. This is far from the 30% high of 2019. When women are absent from boardrooms, budget meetings, or policy discussions, their realities—her realities—get overlooked. The policies that shape her life, from healthcare to labor laws, often miss the mark because her perspective isn’t at the table. 
India’s future adds urgency to her story. The NFHS-5 notes that fertility rates have dipped below replacement level, meaning fewer workers will support a growing population of elderly citizens, projected to reach 20% by 2050. Many will be women, often widows, facing dependency with little support. If women like her are pushed out of the workforce or never given a chance to join, the strain on families and the economy will grow. A rising dependency ratio isn’t just a statistic—it’s fewer hands to care for aging parents, fewer incomes to sustain households. Gender equality isn’t just about fairness; it’s about keeping India’s economy afloat as its population changes. 
This isn’t about a lack of vision. India has plans, slogans, and frameworks aplenty. But what’s needed is action—real investment in the systems that hold her back. Picture clinics that prioritize her health, tackling anaemia and reproductive care with the seriousness they deserve. Imagine childcare centers that let her work without guilt, or policies that count her unpaid hours as part of the economy. Gender budgeting and time-use surveys could make her contributions visible, guiding smarter policies. These aren’t abstract ideas—they’re steps that could change her life and millions like hers. 

The Global Gender Gap Report isn’t just a ranking; it’s a mirror held up to India’s choices. It shows a nation with immense potential but persistent blind spots. The small gains in education and economic participation are steps forward, but they’re fragile without progress in health, care, and representation. India can’t afford to see women as mere recipients of aid—they are builders, innovators, and pillars of the future. The report is a call to act, not with grand gestures but with practical, human-centered policies that give every woman a chance to thrive. Only then can India truly harness the strength of its people and secure the future it dreams of.  

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