Policy Reflections - Vol 6, 13th March 2026

Every year on International Women’s Day we celebrate the achievements of women and reiterate our commitment to gender equality. Yet the real test of empowerment lies not in symbolic gestures but in measurable outcomes.

If we put our hand on our heart and ask an honest question, the answer becomes more complex. India has made undeniable progress in several indicators related to women’s empowerment. At the same time, structural challenges remain across economic participation, health outcomes, decision making power and safety.

A careful examination of official data from government surveys and national statistical systems helps us understand where India stands today.

1. Economic empowerment: progress, but still incomplete

One of the most important indicators of women’s empowerment is participation in the workforce. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), India’s Female Labour Force Participation Rate has increased significantly over the past few years. It rose from 23.3 percent in 2017–18 to 41.7 percent in 2023–24 for women aged 15 years and above.

More recent quarterly estimates show the trend continuing, with female labour force participation hovering around 35 percent in late 2025. This is a notable structural shift after decades of stagnation.

However, the numbers require careful interpretation. A large share of the increase has been driven by rural self-employment and agricultural work, which often reflects economic necessity rather than access to high quality jobs. The share of women in formal salaried employment remains relatively low. Economic empowerment therefore remains uneven.

Other economic indicators also highlight gaps. Women continue to face a significant gender wage gap, and their representation in leadership roles across corporate and institutional sectors remains limited. While the financial inclusion landscape has improved dramatically through initiatives such as the Jan Dhan programme, the translation of financial access into economic independence still varies across regions and socio economic groups.

Asset ownership remains another challenge. Land and property ownership among women continues to be low in many states, limiting long term economic security and bargaining power within households.

2. Education and human capital: strong gains

Education has been one of India’s most visible success stories. Female literacy has improved substantially over the past two decades, although a gender gap remains. Studies indicate female literacy levels remain significantly below male literacy rates.

At the same time, educational attainment among girls has improved dramatically. School enrolment rates for girls have increased across primary and secondary education, and female participation in higher education has risen steadily in recent years. In several disciplines such as medicine and the life sciences, women now constitute a large share of students.

These improvements in education are critical for long term empowerment. They influence employment opportunities, health outcomes and participation in decision making.

However, education alone does not automatically translate into economic opportunity. Bridging the gap between educational attainment and workforce participation remains one of India’s key policy challenges.

3. Health outcomes: steady improvement

Women’s health indicators provide another window into empowerment. India has made significant progress in reducing maternal mortality. According to the Sample Registration System, the Maternal Mortality Ratio declined from 130 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2014–16 to 97 in 2018–20, and further to 88 in 2020–22.

This reflects improvements in institutional deliveries, maternal healthcare services and access to medical facilities.

The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) also shows positive trends in maternal and child health indicators, including higher institutional delivery rates and declining infant mortality.

However, nutritional indicators remain a concern in many regions. Anaemia among women and adolescent girls continues to be a major public health challenge, which directly affects maternal health and productivity.

Reproductive autonomy is another important dimension of empowerment. Access to family planning services and maternal healthcare has improved, but disparities across states and socio-economic groups remain.

4. Agency and decision-making power

True empowerment also requires women to have a voice in decisions affecting their lives.

National surveys show that women increasingly participate in household decisions relating to healthcare, purchases and mobility. Yet in many households, decision making continues to be shared or dominated by male members.

Freedom of movement and financial independence also vary widely depending on geography, social norms and education levels.

At the political level, representation has improved but remains limited. Women currently hold roughly 14 percent of seats in the Lok Sabha, significantly below their share in the population.

However, India has seen greater participation of women in local governance through reservations in Panchayati Raj institutions, which has created millions of grassroots women leaders across rural India.

The recently enacted Women’s Reservation legislation for Parliament and State Assemblies may gradually change the political landscape, but its full impact will take time to materialise.

5. Safety, dignity and social attitudes

One of the most difficult aspects of women’s empowerment to measure is safety and social attitudes.

Surveys such as the National Family Health Survey capture data on the prevalence of domestic violence and attitudes toward violence against women. While awareness and reporting have increased, the persistence of gender-based violence remains a serious concern.

Legal protections have strengthened through laws addressing domestic violence, workplace harassment and child marriage. However, enforcement and awareness remain uneven. Empowerment ultimately requires not only legal rights but also social acceptance of those rights.

6. Women led development and the vision of Vikshit Bharat

India’s development discourse has increasingly shifted from women’s development to women led development. The concept recognises that women are not merely beneficiaries of policy but drivers of economic and social transformation.

Several initiatives reflect this shift. Self Help Groups under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission now involve millions of women in micro enterprises and financial networks. Women entrepreneurs are increasingly visible in sectors ranging from agriculture to technology startups.

At the same time, India’s demographic and economic ambitions make women’s participation indispensable. Achieving the vision of Vikshit Bharat by 2047 will require significantly higher female labour force participation, improved access to quality jobs, greater representation in leadership positions and stronger health and nutrition outcomes.

The honest reflection

India has made real progress. Female workforce participation is rising, maternal mortality is falling, educational attainment is improving and women’s political participation is gradually expanding. Yet empowerment is not only about improvement. It is also about parity. Women still face barriers in labour markets, leadership roles, asset ownership and safety. Social norms continue to shape opportunities in ways that statistics alone cannot fully capture.

If India is serious about building a developed nation by 2047, the question is not whether women should participate in development. The question is whether development itself is possible without them.

The answer, increasingly, is clear.

A truly Vikshit Bharat will have to be built not only for women, but by women.