The Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) hosted a presentation on the India Gender Report as part of the Research Methodology coursework on the eve of International Women’s Day. The event was attended by Prof. E. Revathi, Director of CESS, Dr. Alivelu Kasturi, Dean of DGS, faculty members, and PhD scholars. The presentation was delivered by PhD scholars from the 2024-25 batch, namely Mousumi Chatterjee, Titir Sarkar, Dainampelly Praveen, Teegala Shruthi, Madhigiripalli Pushpa and Matade Neelima. They provided key insights from the report, published by the Feminist Policy Collective, Lead Anchor – Ritu Dewan with Swati Raju, highlighting major findings, policy implications, and socio-economic challenges in gender dynamics across India.
The report highlighted issues such as gender disparities in taxation, financial inclusion, workforce participation, migration, entrepreneurship, and healthcare. Women face higher tax burdens due to GST on essential goods, and the removal of past income tax exemptions has reduced financial independence. Women-led businesses struggle with high compliance costs, while banking and credit access remain unequal, with only 35% of women actively using bank accounts despite high ownership rates. The workforce participation rate of women remains significantly lower than that of men, hindered by gendered social norms, mobility constraints, and limited job opportunities. Although there was an increase in women’s employment post-pandemic, the report highlights that challenges remain in ensuring quality employment opportunities. The gender wage gap persists, particularly in self-employment, where women continue to earn significantly less than men.
The presentation further examined migration trends, revealing that most female migration is driven by marriage rather than employment, limiting their economic independence. Women migrants often face exploitative working conditions in industries such as agriculture, brick kilns, and domestic work. The challenges of women entrepreneurs were also addressed, highlighting that women-led MSMEs constitute only 20% of the sector, primarily due to credit access barriers and gendered discrimination in formal markets. While government schemes like Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana and Udyogini Yojana aim to support women entrepreneurs, structural challenges persist.
In the healthcare sector, gender disparities manifest in malnutrition, maternal mortality, occupational health risks, and limited access to reproductive health services. Public healthcare remains underfunded, increasing women’s dependence on private healthcare, which is often inaccessible due to financial constraints. Policies such as the National Health Mission and Ayushman Bharat have made efforts to improve healthcare, but gaps in financing and infrastructure persist. Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) continues to rise in India, with a 15% increase in crimes against women, as per the 2021 NCRB report. Key laws like the Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace (POSH), 2013 Act, Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013 (CLA), and POCSO Act aim to address such violence, but challenges like delays in justice, poor investigation, and lack of coordination persist. Cases like Bilkis Bano and Manipur highlight the severity of SGBV in conflict zones. While initiatives like the Nirbhaya Fund and One Stop Centres support survivors, stronger law enforcement, quicker legal proceedings, and better implementation of protection measures are crucial for justice.
The presentation also shed light on the resistance and resilience of women in movements like the 2020-21 farmers’ protests, where women played vital roles in logistics, media, stage events, and mobilization despite male leadership. The struggles of ASHA and Anganwadi workers were highlighted, emphasizing their low wages, lack of job security, and ongoing protests demanding better working conditions. The report concluded that addressing gender inequality requires structural reforms, including gender-responsive budgeting, equitable taxation, inclusive banking policies, improved workforce conditions, and stronger legal protections against gender-based violence. The overarching message was that India’s development must be women-led rather than merely women-centric, ensuring systemic changes that empower women across economic, social, and political spheres. The presentation ended with a discussion on these challenges and the way forward.