It is no secret that India has a long way to go when it comes to gender equality in the workplace. The employability gender gap in India is 50.9%, with only 19.2% of women in the labour force compared to 70.1% of men, as per data from the International Labour Organisation (ILO). This is despite the fact that 52% of women in India express a desire to work either in paid jobs or have a paid job while also caring for families and homes.
India fared worse than smaller countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal in the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report 2022, ranking 135 out of 146.
The stunning reality is that if more women were to work, or even better – become entrepreneurs, India’s GDP could get a boost of USD 0.7 trillion by 2025.
To capitalise on India’s demographic dividend and achieve sustainable growth, promoting gender equality and increasing women’s participation in the labour force are crucial steps that must be taken.
Asian Woman Leadership 