Unfinished Business of Gender Parity in India
Relevance:
Class 10 – Democratic Politics
Topics: Gender equality, role of women in democracy, rights and representation.
Topics: Gender equality, role of women in democracy, rights and representation.
Class 11 – Political Theory / Indian Society
Topics: Equality, patriarchy, justice, role of the State in inclusion.
Topics: Equality, patriarchy, justice, role of the State in inclusion.
Class 12 – Indian Politics / Social Change
Topics: Gender and development, women's rights, institutions and power structures, social reform.
Topics: Gender and development, women's rights, institutions and power structures, social reform.
1. What is Gender Parity?
Parity means fair share—no gender should hold over 50–60% of any space.
In India, the debate is stuck at 33% women’s representation, treated more like a favour than a right.
2. Political Representation
Panchayati Raj: Women have 45% participation—a strong base for democracy.
Parliament: Only 14% members are women, the highest ever but still very low.
33% Reservation in Parliament & Assemblies:
Promised long ago.
Still pending due to census and delimitation.
UK Example: All-women candidate lists raised women’s representation from below 10% to over 30%.
3. Economic Participation
Women’s labour force participation rate has dropped sharply.
Women earn less than 20% of India’s GDP, and less than a third of men’s wages.
In elite services:
41% of new IAS recruits, and 38% in IFS are women.
Total representation still unclear.
In uniformed services:
Less than 3% in armed forces, 12% in police.
Only 8% of police officers are women.
4. Judiciary and Institutions
Supreme Court: Had 4 women out of 33 judges in 2021; now only 1.
High Courts: Only 14% women judges.
Lower Courts: 38% women.
NHRC (National Human Rights Commission):
Never had more than one woman member.
Law only requires “at least one woman”—a weak rule.
5. Private Sector Leadership
Women are present in middle management.
But fewer than 2% of India’s Fortune 500 companies are led by women.
6. Social and System Barriers
Institutions treat male-dominated systems as fair and neutral.
Patriarchal culture and old systems make it hard for women to rise.
When women talk about their social and biological realities, it is wrongly seen as asking for favours.
A man’s success is seen as merit, a woman’s is often seen as tokenism.
7. Signs of Progress
Education: 97% of women now reach near equality in education.
Political empowerment score: Better than China, close to Brazil.
Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and credit schemes help rural women shift from survival to entrepreneurship.
State programs in Kerala and Uttar Pradesh show how rural women can grow economically.
8. Missed Opportunities
McKinsey says equal participation could add $770 billion to India’s GDP by 2025.
At the current pace, it may take 135 years to achieve gender parity.
This is not just a gender issue—it is also a big economic loss.
Even the Prime Minister says women-led development is key—but action is still slow.
9. What Needs to Change
Institutions must urgently evolve and include women:
Not partially
Not temporarily
But fully and permanently
Inclusion should not feel like a gift, but compensation for years of exclusion.
Current slow progress hides a lack of real change.
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