gender inequality in india essay

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Gender Inequality In The Indian Society

Gender inequality is a pressing issue in Indian society. Despite a constitution that guarantees equal rights for men and women and decades of legislation, some deep-rooted gender discrimination in India takes a brutal toll on women’s lives. Even after rapid economic growth, gender disparities remain all too familiar: 1,000 girls die each day before reaching the age of five due to neglect.

India has been ranked low on various indices that measure gender equality — including economic participation and opportunity; educational attainment; health and survival; political empowerment; and legal protection — due to multiple factors such as high levels of women discrimination in India as well as various discriminatory social norms, laws and cultural practices. Some of the key areas or examples of gender inequality in India where women face discrimination include less access to education and employment, under-representation in political positions, poorer health and nutrition than men, and the most obvious violence against women.

While deeper analysis of the problem may cause disagreement with respect to the relative importance of various causes and therefore approach to the solution, it is necessary to bring together the major issues that contribute to making gender inequality in India as deep and widespread.

Causes of Gender Inequality in India

Gender inequality is a pervasive issue in India, impacting Indian women and girls in a variety of ways. While there are many causes of gender inequality, some of the most common include:

Given all the development and recent rise to prominence, we often forget that India is still one of the poorest countries in the world, and it is one of the biggest reasons that lead to gender inequality in India. Despite the availability of education in rural areas, families prefer sending their boys to school rather than the girls of the family, which is one of the biggest disadvantages.

Patriarchal Setup in our Indian Society

Since time immemorial, India has been an extremely patriarchal society. The patriarchal setup in Indian society contributed to the fundamental inequality between men and women. As women were considered a part of the household belonging to their father or husband, they were unable to get a say in any matters concerning their own development or that of the community at large.

Lack of Education or Illiteracy

The disparity between the literacy rates of men and women in India is a known issue. Some regional states have higher disparity, while some other states have better disparity. The problem is not that there are few literate women in India, but rather the problem is the lack of awareness among women to use their rights.

Lack of Awareness Among Women

One of the major causes of gender inequality is the lack of awareness among women about their rights and their ability to achieve equality. This lack of awareness is often due to the prevailing cultural and social norms, which dictate that women should be subservient to men. It is important to break down these barriers and help women become more aware of their rights so that they can demand equality.

Social Customs, Beliefs and Practices

The views of society, customs and cultural practices play a big role in keeping women at lower places in the society – refusing them opportunities, which are generally provided to men, who are considered the dominant ones in India.

Addressing these causes is critical to achieving gender equality in India.

The Need For Awareness

Women are treated as second-class citizens in India, and the situation is getting worse. The country’s record on gender equality is dismal. According to a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), India ranked 134th out of 145 countries for gender parity in 2018, down from 130th in 2017.

Without a doubt, this is a wake-up call for all of us. We all have to join hands and help women overcome these discrimination crises. We need to create awareness among Indian women about their legal rights. There are various organisations that work towards creating awareness about women’s rights and equality, like Care India. We need to support such organisations vigorously working to provide women with equal opportunities and rights. Additionally, we need to bring about a change in the mindset of people, especially men, who still believe that women are inferior to them. We need to inject the concept of women’s empowerment into everybody’s minds. We have built a result-oriented process of enhancing and promoting the social, political and economic status of women. Majorly, we have to work on five main concerns-

• Give women access to education just like men
• Give women opportunities to be in power and achieve economic success.
• Stop the violence and sexual assault against women.
• End child marriages
• Aware women about women’s rights in India

By focusing on these five major points, we can hope to achieve equality between men and women in our society. It is neither difficult nor impossible; we all can do it, together.

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History of Gender Inequality in India

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Published: Jan 4, 2019

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History of gender inequality, in ancient period, in medieval period.

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Gender Inequality and Gender Gap: An Overview of the Indian Scenario

• Original Article
• Published: 08 November 2023
• Volume 40 , pages 232–254, ( 2023 )

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• Issabella Jose   ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0003-0966-7063 1 &
• Sunitha Sivaraman   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9976-207X 2  

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Gender inequality is pervasive in many societies, creating disparities between genders in terms of what they can accomplish and their access to opportunities. Achieving sustainable development necessitates providing equal chances to all, regardless of gender. Despite the remarkable economic progress India has attained, gender inequality is a major concern. Against this backdrop, the current study endeavours to comprehend gender inequality and analyse the extent of gender gap in India using secondary data. India’s performance in major gender-related indices paints a stark picture of gender inequality in the country. The study also finds that there exists gender gap in India concerning health, education, political representation and economic participation. Further, the study finds that female labour force participation has steadily declined over the years, raising concerns over the inclusiveness of India’s economic growth. The findings of the study provide valuable insights to policymakers to formulate effective policies that promote gender equality.

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Jose, I., Sivaraman, S. Gender Inequality and Gender Gap: An Overview of the Indian Scenario. Gend. Issues 40 , 232–254 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-023-09313-5

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Gender Equality Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on gender equality essay.

Equality or non-discrimination is that state where every individual gets equal opportunities and rights. Every individual of the society yearns for equal status, opportunity, and rights. However, it is a general observation that there exists lots of discrimination between humans. Discrimination exists because of cultural differences, geographical differences, and gender. Inequality based on gender is a concern that is prevalent in the entire world.  Even in the 21 st century, across globe men and women do not enjoy equal privileges. Gender equality means providing equal opportunities to both men and women in political, economic, education and health aspects.

Importance of Gender Equality

A nation can progress and attain higher development growth only when both men and women are entitled to equal opportunities. Women in the society are often cornered and are refrained from getting equal rights as men to health, education, decision-making and economic independence in terms of wages.

The social structure that prevails since long in such a way that girls do not get equal opportunities as men. Women generally are the caregivers in the family. Because of this, women are mostly involved in household activities. There is lesser participation of women in higher education, decision-making roles, and leadership roles. This gender disparity is a hindrance in the growth rate of a country. When women participate in the workforce increases the economic growth rate of the country increases. Gender equality increases the overall wellbeing of the nation along with economic prosperity .

How is Gender Equality Measured?

Gender equality is an important factor in determining a country’s overall growth. There are several indexes to measure gender equality.

Gender-Related Development Index (GDI) –   GDI is a gender centric measure of Human Development Index. GDI considers parameters like life expectancy, education, and incomes in assessing the gender equality of a country.

Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) – This measure includes much detail aspects like the proportion of seats than women candidates hold in national parliament, percentage of women at economic decision-making role, the income share of female employees.

Gender Equity Index (GEI) – GEI ranks countries on three parameters of gender inequality, those are education, economic participation, and empowerment. However, GEI ignores the health parameter.

Global Gender Gap Index – The World Economic Forum introduced the Global Gender Gap Index in 2006. This index focuses more on identifying the level of female disadvantage. The four important areas that the index considers are economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment, health, and survival rate.

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Gender Inequality in India

As per the World Economic Forum’s gender gap ranking, India stands at rank 108 out of 149 countries. This rank is a major concern as it highlights the immense gap in opportunities in women with comparison to men. In Indian society from a long time back, the social structure has been such that the women are neglected in many areas like education, health, decision-making areas, financial independence, etc.

Another major reason, which contributes to the discriminatory behavior towards women in India, is the dowry system in marriage.  Because of this dowry system, most Indian families consider girls as a burden.  Preference for son still prevails. Girls have refrained from higher education. Women are not entitled to equal job opportunities and wages. In the 21 st century, women are still preferred gender in home managing activities. Many women quit their job and opt-out from leadership roles because of family commitments. However, such actions are very uncommon among men.

For overall wellbeing and growth of a nation, scoring high on gender equality is the most crucial aspect. Countries with less disparity in gender equality have progressed a lot. The government of India has also started taking steps to ensure gender equality. Several laws and policies are prepared to encourage girls. “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana ” (Save girl, and make girls educated) campaign is created to spread awareness of the importance of girl child.  Several laws to protect girls are also there. However, we need more awareness of spreading knowledge of women rights . In addition, the government should take initiatives to check the correct and proper implementation of policies.

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Gender Inequality In India

The reality of gender inequality in India is very complex and diversified because it is present in many ways, many fields and many classes. Over the past decade, gender equality and women‘s empowerment have been explicitly recognized as a key to the social and economic development of the nation. Additionally, the promotion of gender equality and empowering of women was one of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDG) to which India was a signatory.   This article briefly provides details on the status of women from ancient times to the present century, the article in the constitution empowering women in the domain of governance and strategies for the advancement of women.

Aspirants would find this topic very helpful while preparing for the IAS Exam .

Status of Women – From Ancient India to Present Time Period

• In ancient India, women were held in high esteem and the position of a woman in the Vedas and the Upanishads was that of a mother (maata) or goddess (Devi). In the early Vedic age, girls were looked after with care.
• Then practice of polygamy deteriorated the status of woman and in the medieval period, the practices of purdah system, dowry, and sati came into being.
• With the passage of time, the status of woman was lowered. After the advancements made in relevant science and technology, it led to the misuse by practising female foeticide on a large scale. This has led to a drop in the female ratio. According to the census 2001, the sex ratio in India is 927 females to 1,000 males. Check out the detailed information on the Sex Ratio on the given link. And then dowry has become common and started Female infanticide practices in few areas. Read in detail about Female Foeticide on the linked page.
• In many parts of India, women are viewed as an economic liability despite contribution in several ways to our society and economy. The crime graph against women is increasing at an alarming rate. The condition of an Indian widow is quite deplorable. Read in detail about the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act on the linked page.
• At home, the woman’s contribution towards home as a housewife is not recognized.
• Violence against Women – RSTV Big Picture
• Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO)
• Sexual Harassment at Work Place
• Right Against Exploitation
• What is Human Trafficking?
• Poverty – A Social challenge
• Caste System
• At work, the disparity is visible through a different working environment for women, unequal wages, undignified treatment, sexual harassment, higher working hours, engagement in harmful industries, occupational hazards, working roughly twice as many hours as men and a nearly 27 percentage of women are accounted by unpaid activities.
• Violence against women is also prominent in India. As per some reports every 42 minutes sexual harassment occurs, every 43 minutes a woman is kidnapped and every 93 minutes a woman is burnt for dowry. And by the pre-quarter of reported, rapes involve girls under the age of 16 years. Every 26 minutes a woman is molested and every 34 minutes a rape take place.
• Vulnerability due to Caste
• Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections in India
• Lack of education in women has lead to poor levels of literacy. Read about Rural illiteracy among girls on the given link. Also, read about School education and Literacy on the linked page.
• The discriminative socialization process is another aspect of inequality towards women which leads to customary practices, more involvement in household activities only (boys not allowed), restricted to play, isolation, separation in schools and public places and restrictions to move freely.
• Detrimental cultural practices like after marriage husbands dominating the family, dominance from In-laws family, members, never or rarely considered for any decision making, limitations in continuing relationships with brothers, sisters, relatives, child or early marriage, patriarchal attitudes and not able to continue girl or boy friendship after marriage are also contributing factor to the inequality.

Article 243 D – Women Empowerment in the Domain of Governance

In Governance this inequality was visible, after decades of independence. Hence, Article 243 D of the Constitution provides provision of 33 percent reservation for women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions and 33 percent of the office of chairpersons will be reserved for women. Go through the detailed information on Women Empowerment on the linked page.

You may also read about Social Empowerment on the page linked here.

Advancement of Women – Strategies

Strategies for the advancement of women should be

• Higher literacy,
• More formal education
• Greater employment opportunity.

In education, it needs to be reducing primary and secondary dropout of a female child.  Women learners should educate their children which further enhances social advancement.  For better job opportunities reservations could be provided or special provisions. In governance, all rights and all legal measures should be available for women’s protection and support.

FAQ about Gender Inequality In India

What are the major reasons for gender inequality in india, how can we reduce gender inequality in india.

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• Gender Equality Essay

Introduction to Gender Equality

In a society, everyone has the right to lead his/her life accordingly without any discrimination. When this state is achieved where all individuals are considered to be equal irrespective of their caste, gender, colour, profession, and status, we call it equality. Equality can also be defined as the situation where every individual has the same rights and equal opportunity to grow and prosper. 

Every individual of society dreams for equal rights and access to resources available at their disposal, but there is a lot of discrimination. This discrimination can be due to cultural differences, geographical differences, the colour of the individual, social status and even gender. The most prevalent discrimination is gender inequality. It is not a localised issue and is limited to only certain spheres of life but is prevalent across the globe. Even in progressive societies and top organisations, we can see many examples of gender bias. 

Gender equality can only be achieved when both male and female individuals are treated similarly. But discrimination is a social menace that creates division. We stop being together and stand together to tackle our problems. This social stigma has been creeping into the underbelly of all of society for many centuries. This has also been witnessed in gender-based cases. Gender inequality is the thing of the past as both men and women are creating history in all segments together.

Gender Equality builds a Nation

In this century, women and men enjoy the same privileges. The perception is changing slowly but steadily. People are now becoming more aware of their rights and what they can do in a free society. It has been found that when women and men hold the same position and participate equally, society progresses exclusively and creates a landmark. When a community reaches gender equality, everyone enjoys the same privileges and gets similar scopes in education, health, occupation, and political aspect. Even in the family, when both male and female members are treated in the same way, it is the best place to grow, learn, and add great value.

A nation needs to value every gender equally to progress at the right place. A society attains better development in all aspects when both genders are entitled to similar opportunities. Equal rights in decision making, health, politics, infrastructure, profession, etc will surely advance our society to a new level. The social stigma of women staying inside the house has changed. Nowadays, girls are equally competing with boys in school. They are also creating landmark development in their respective profession. Women are now seeking economic independence before they get married. It gives them the confidence to stand against oppression and make better decisions for themselves.

The age-old social structure dictated that women need to stay inside the home taking care of all when men go out to earn bread and butter. This has been practised for ages when the world outside was not safe. Now that the time has changed and we have successfully made our environment quite safer, women can step forward, get educated, pursue their passion, bring economic balance in their families, and share the weight of a family with men. This, in a cumulative way, will also make a country’s economy progress faster and better.

Methods to measure Gender Equality

Gender equality can be measured and a country’s growth can be traced by using the following methods.

Gender Development Index (GDI) is a gender-based calculation done similar to the Human Development Index. 

Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) is a detailed calculation method of the percentage of female members in decision-making roles. 

Gender Equity Index (GEI) considers economic participation, education, and empowerment.

Global Gender Gap Index assesses the level of gender inequality present on the basis of four criteria: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment, health and survival .

According to the Gender Gap Index (GGI), India ranks 140 among 156 participating countries. This denotes that the performance of India has fallen from the previous years, denoting negative growth in terms of closing the gender gap. In the current environment where equality and equal opportunities are considered supreme, this makes India be at a significant disadvantage.

Roadblocks to Gender Equality  

Indian society is still wrecked by such stigmas that dictate that women are meant to manage the home and stay indoors. This is being done for ages, leading to neglect of women in areas like education, health, wealth, and socio-economic fields. 

In addition to that, the dowry system is further crippling society. This ill practice had led to numerous female feticides. It has created a notion that girls are a burden on a family, which is one of the primary reasons a girl child cannot continue her education. Even if they excel in education and become independent, most of them are forced to quit their job as their income is considered a backup source, which is not fair. New-age women are not only independent, but they are confident too. The only thing they demand from society is support, which we should provide them.  

Along with dowry, there is one more burning issue that has a profound impact on women's growth. It is prevalent in all kinds of society and is known as violence. Violence against women is present in one or another form in public and private spaces. Sometimes, violence is accompanied by other burning issues such as exploitation, harassment, and trafficking, making the world unsafe for women. We must take steps to stop this and ensure a safe and healthy place for women.  

Poverty is also one of the major roadblocks towards gender equality. It has led to other malpractices such as child marriage, sale of children, trafficking and child labour, to name a few. Providing equal job opportunities and upliftment of people below the poverty line can help bring some checks onto this.

Initiative Towards Gender Equality

Any kind of discrimination acts as a roadblock in any nation’s growth, and a nation can only prosper when all its citizens have equal rights. Most of the developed countries has comparatively less gender discrimination and provide equal opportunity to both genders. Even the Indian government is taking multiple initiatives to cut down gender discrimination. 

They have initiated a social campaign called “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana” to encourage the education of girl children. Besides this, the government runs multiple other schemes, such as the Women Helpline Scheme, UJJAWALA, National Mission for Empowerment of Women, etc., to generate awareness among the people. Moreover, as responsible citizens, it is our responsibility to spread knowledge on gender discrimination to create a beautiful world for wome n [1] [2] .

FAQs on Gender Equality Essay

1. What Makes Women Unequal to Men?

The social stigmas and beliefs that have been running deeply in the veins of all families make women unequal to men. Women are considered to be a burden by many families and are not provided with the same rights men enjoy in society. We are ill-informed regarding women’s rights and tend to continue age-old practices. This is made worse with social menaces such as the dowry system, child labor, child marriage, etc. Women can gather knowledge, get educated, and compete with men. This is sometimes quite threatening to the false patriarchal society.

2. How can We Promote Gender Equality?

Education is the prime measure to be taken to make society free from such menaces. When we teach our new generation regarding the best social practices and gender equal rights, we can eradicate such menaces aptly. Our society is ill-informed regarding gender equality and rights. Many policies have been designed and implemented by the government. As our country holds the second position in terms of population, it is hard to tackle these gender-based problems. It can only be erased from the deepest point by using education as the prime weapon.

3. Why should Women be Equal to Men?

Women might not be similar to men in terms of physical strength and physiological traits. Both are differently built biologically but they have the same brain and organs to function. Women these days are creating milestones that are changing society. They have traveled to space, running companies, creating history, and making everyone proud. Women are showing their capabilities in every phase and hence, they should be equal to men in all aspects.

4. Mention a few initiatives started by the Indian Government to enable gender equality.

The Indian government has initiated a social campaign called “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana” to encourage girls’ education. Besides this, the government runs multiple other schemes, such as the  Women Helpline Scheme, UJJAWALA, National Mission for Empowerment of Women, etc., to generate awareness among the people.

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Essay on Gender Equality in India

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One of the most alarming facts of India is that the Gender Inequality is at its heights. Gender Equality basically means equality for both men and women in every aspect of life, politically, economically, in health, education etc.

While the laws of Independent India are robust giving women a safety net, it is unfortunate that Gender Equality is still an issue. In 2018, India has topped in the Unsafe Countries for Women list bringing a national shame which the citizens and the leaders most gladly shrugged off. We should at every walk of life make a conscious effort to bring Gender Equality into existence.

Gender Equality is one of the severe issues in our current modern society. It refers to the equality of responsibilities, rights, and opportunities for females and males. Women, as well as girls, still fall behind the men and boys on the fundamental aspects globally.

It is essential to maintain gender equality for global development as well. Till now, women are still incapable of contributing effectively, and in fact, they don’t recognize their complete potential.

Gender Equality and its importance:

Although our spiritual beliefs consider females as a deity, we fail to identify her as a human first. Women still understated in the positions of decision-making in different companies. Several studies show that there are below 1/3 rd women in the world that occupy the ranks of senior management.

By offering gender equality in areas of health services, education, job, and involvement in administrative and monetary decision-making practices will ultimately benefit in attaining the economic sustainability overall. Numerous global organizations emphasize the significance of gender equality as a motivation for resolving several demographic, economic, and other issues.

Conclusion:

Now, positive growth can be seen in the region of ​​gender equality (comprising the equal right to girls and boys for primary education). But, still, there are some parts of the world in which the girls and women are continuing to suffer from violence and discrimination. There is a definite necessity to make our legal and regulatory framework stronger for fighting the deep-embedded practice of gender inequality. We hope the entire world recognizes the efforts of men and women equally soon in our modern society.

From the early days, inequality among male and female have been a common issue. It is so sad that how the biological difference in a human being can change all types of importance and rights they can have. From birth to marriage to jobs to the style of living, both genders differ the facilities and importance they get.

What is Gender Equality?

Gender equality or sexual equality is the state when all human being can have easy and equal access to all the opportunities, resources, etc., in spite of their biological differences. They should be granted equality in developing their own future, equality in economic participation, equality in the way of lifestyle, equality in granting them the freedom to make decisions, equality in almost everything they go through in their life.

Need for discussing Gender Equality:

We all know how women are being treated in society due to the lack of awareness and inequality. Even in the womb, they are being killed thinking that they are going to be a burden to the family. Even after their birth they are made to stick to the household activities and are denied education, good jobs, etc.

Gender equality is to commonly give equality in all stages for both men and women, whether in their home or whether be in their education or in the job they choose. The job of this discussion about gender equality is to break all the boundaries and limitations set by the family, society, and the world for both men and women, to attain their goals independently.

From ancient times there are certain stereotypes and roles set for the different gender like men are for bringing money to the house and women are for doing household works, looking after the family, etc. These stereotypes are to be broken, and both men and women should come out of their boundaries to follow their dreams rather than worrying about the outer world.

This discussion is not about finding women everything a man can or the other way, it is about giving and respecting both gender’s differences and behaviors. We see in many cases that women won’t get a good education or they are denied their rights, this discussion will help both the family and women to understand their rights.

Not only for women, but men are also judged when they choose or break their role in society, like choosing a variety of career, which should be corrected too. Finally, gender equality means respecting and treating all gender equally.

Gender equality is also called sexual equality and is defined as a state of equal access to opportunities and resources not minding gender, and including decision making and economic participation; also valuing all of the different needs, aspirations and behaviours without any form of partiality.

The history of gender equality dates back a long time to about 1405 when Christine de Pizan wrote in her book The Book of the City of Ladies that women are oppressed based on biased prejudice and she pointed out a lot of ways where women in the society are making progress. There was also the Shakers; a group of evangelicals that practiced the segregation of both sexes and preached celibacy. They were one of the first practitioners of equality of the genders. After the Second World War, feminism and the women’s liberation movement have created movements for the recognition of the rights of women. A lot of international agencies like the United Nations and a host of others have done a lot to help improve gender equality but some countries have not adopted many of the conventions.

Feminists have criticised and raised issues about gender biases and the condition of women in countries that don’t have western culture. There have been cases of domestic violence against women and there have been cases of honour killing in some places especially in parts of Asia and North Africa. There is also the problem of women not getting equal pay with men for equal work they have done and women sometimes get harassed sexually by their superiors at work.

A lot of work has been done to battle gender inequality in our society. For example, the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) was opened by the European Union in Vilnius, Lithuania in the year 2010 just to canvass for gender equality and also to battle sex discrimination. The European Union also published a paper called the Gender Action Plan 2016-2020 in the year 2015. The Great Britain and some other countries in Europe have added gender equality as part of their curriculum. Also, the president of the republic of Kazakhstan made a presidential decree to create a strategy for gender equality.

Violence against the women is a term that is used to refer to all forms of violent acts that are majorly and primarily against women in the society. Violence against women is typically gender-based which means that it is solely committed against women just because they are women or because of the patriarchal constructs of gender. These gender based inequalities are to be removed from society by bringing about gender equality.

Gender equality aims at removing all boundaries and differences between men and women. It eliminates any kind of discrimination between male and female. Gender equality ensures equal rights and opportunities for both males and females, be it at home or in educational institutions or at workplaces. Gender equality guarantees political, social, and economic equality.

Understanding the Concept:

Gender equality in India is still a faraway dream for us. Despite all the education, advancement, and economic growth, many nations are suffering from the culture of gender inequality, and India is one of them. Apart from India, other European, American, and Asian countries also fall in the same category where the discrimination between men and women has been going on for so long.

Gender Equality in India:

Gender equality in India or in any other part of the world would be achieved when men and women, boys and girls would be treated equally, like two individuals, not two genders. This equality needs to be practiced at homes, in the schools, offices, in marital relations, etc.

Gender equality in India would also mean that the females should feel safe and not driven by the fear of violence. The uneven sex ratio all over the country is a proof that preference for boys over girls is a ground level norm in our Indian society. And this blemish is not confined to just one religion or caste. To a large level, it infects the whole society.

Causes of Gender Discrimination:

There are several hurdles in the way of achieving gender equality in India. The Indian mindset dwells on the deep-rooted patriarchal system. Boys are given more value compared to girls who are just looked upon as a burden.

For this reason, the education of girls is not taken as seriously, which again poses a threat to gender equality in India. Child marriages and child labor also contribute to the lack of gender equality in India.

Poverty is another pitfall in gender equality in India because it pushes girls into sexual abuse, child trafficking, forced marriages, and domestic violence.

Insensitivity toward women exposes them to rapes, stalking, threats, unsafe atmosphere at workplaces and roads due to which achieving gender equality in India has become a tough task.

Possible Solutions:

The causes mentioned above are only the tip of the iceberg. Serious groundwork needs to be done if we are ever to establish gender equality in India. We can all make a small yet significant change to improve gender equality in India.

Parents must teach their boys to respect girls and take them as equals. For this, both mother and father can be their role models. Education must become a necessity for all the girls without which hoping for gender equality in India would be worthless.

School education and social culture also play an important role in spreading gender equality in India. Sex education, awareness campaigns, complete eradication of female feticide, the toxic effects of dowry and early marriages, should all be taught to students.

The road to an absolute gender equality in India is tough but not impossible. We must be honest in our efforts and work on changing the social outlook toward females. For a full-fledged gender equality in India, both men and women must work together and bring a positive change in society.

Gender refers to each female and male, and also the members of the family between them. Gender equality, do we truly put into practice? Yes, we’ve got achieved the idea of gender equality inside the present day society. Now the governments are constantly speaking about the truthful treatment for all of us. There may be no difference in gender roles due to the fact now the society is more recognition on gender equality. Its miles vital to emphasize the concept of gender. Therefore, the concept of gender equality wishes to be understood without a doubt because everybody have to be reputable, predicted, allowed and valued in each aspect. Promotion of gender equality is important in the present modern world. Imposing the gender equality may require the identical illustration and the participation of woman and male within the category of selection-making, economy, task possibilities and civil life.

In the past, gender equality was not practiced and both genders, female and male couldn’t reach their complete ability in the society. It’s far because there are quite a few incorrect standards, wrong statements, and incorrect decisions for the both genders. They shape the incorrect judgments and form the attributes which affects the thinking on each genders and additionally the way we understand depressed human beings. Gender stereotypes were generated in the past. They have been continuous stereotypes about female and male as in males are greater on decision-making, dealing the principal issues whereas females need to continually live at domestic and settle the minor things. Prejudice exists anywhere, with a prejudice comes a stereotype. Gender stereotypes are representing a terrible message and tend to convey a negative effect to a person. It impacts the judgments we form to the both genders. All people is specific, they has their own characteristics. It’s far extremely unfair if we are being stereotyped to a person because of their genders. Therefore, stereotype reflects the truths approximately the realities like not best male are constantly with courage and strong frame to paintings, at the opposite, female even can perform better than male in every aspects.

Although, there is no sustainable development without gender equality and from a development perspective, the world may miss accomplishable targets because of gender-inequality. (“Without Firm Action”) Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and therefore also half its potential. “We need to be gender specific when it comes to employment [and] companies could see the benefits of hiring women, [and break the stereotypical view]”.

An equal society begins with women reclaiming their strong voice, and then gender wouldn’t be as much of a relation of power. Gender equality is a fundamental right which contributes to a healthy society filled with respectful relationships between one another. “[Women can] address their conditions in life, either resisting or submitting to oppressive relations”. Women who begin to step outside of the norm are questioned for their power and capability to accomplish their great ambitions. Women have every right in the world to strive for what they want; it is society that tells them differently.

Like in Zora Neale Hurston’s “How It Feels to Be Colored Me”, a young woman is discovering her identity and power in the world. Using depictions of color throughout the story gives us the sense that she is comparing herself to the color(s) around her. Hurston uses the metaphor of colored bags meaning that they may look different on the outside, yet when the bags are poured out, everything would be somewhat the same. From my approach, this can be compared to the concept of gender equality. Aside from a few biological differences, men and women are equal. When Zora leaves home in the story to move on and fill her aspirations in life, she immediately becomes “colored”.

If we let women reach their full potential, it will leave the world flourishing. All it takes is strangers coming together and supporting one another along their journeys to solve worldwide problem of gender in-equality and bring about gender equality. We are all human and we are all filled and fueled by empowerment, support, and love. We can’t move forward in society until we work towards gender equity, rather than gender inequality. Gender equality isn’t just another phrase for women’s empowerment and rights, its equality for both the genders.

Gender equality is not only an advantage for the females; however it benefits humanity as an entire. It may assist tackle the crippling poverty, illiteracy and abuse which have stricken international locations internationally. Gender equality can even help wreck down inflexible gender roles that afflict us all.

The availability of equal opportunities, resources and freedom on various counts irrespective of religion is what we call as Gender Equality. According to gender equality, all humans should be treated as equals despite their gender and should be allowed to make decisions and choices in their life as per their own aspirations. It is actually a goal which has often been neglected by society despite the fact that governments all over the world have been known to come up with various laws and measures to ensure gender equality. But, an important piece of thought is that “Have we been able to achieve this goal?” Leave aside achieving; are we anything near to it? The answer is probably “No”. Not only in India, but across the world there are numerous incidents which reflects the status of gender equality or rather gender inequality every day.

Gender equality disparities and their social causes affect India’s sex ratio, the wellbeing of women, the economic conditions as well as the growth of the country. Gender inequality in India is a multifaceted issue that affects a larger population of the country. In any case, when India’s population is analyzed in general, women are often not treated equally to their men counterparts. Moreover, this has been in existence through ages and is also accepted as a part of the life even by many women in the country. There are still parts in India, where women are the first ones to revolt if the government tries to take their men to task for not treating them as equals. While Indian laws on assault, endowment and infidelity have provided security to women at the basic level, these profoundly oppressive practices are as yet occurring at a disturbing rate, influencing the lives of many women even today.

In fact, as per the Global Gender Gap Report discharged by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2011, India was positioned 113 on the Gender Gap Index (GGI) among 135 nations polled. Since then India has enhanced its rankings on the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index (GGI) to 105/136 in 2013. When separated into parts of the GGI, India performs well on political strengthening, however, is scored to be as terrible as China on sex-specific foetus removal.

Efforts to Fight Gender Equality:

i. There have been many initiatives by the respective governments, post-independence to somehow bridge this gap in gender inequality. For instance, some of the schemes run the government as on date under the Ministry of Women and Child Development to ensure women are treated equally such as Swadhar and Short Stay Homes to give alleviation and restoration to women in distress as well as destitute women.

ii. Working Women Hostels for guaranteeing safe settlement for working women from their place of habitation.

iii. Support to Training and Employment Program for Women (STEP) to guarantee practical business and salary age for minimized and resource less rustic and urban poor women all over the nation.

iv. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) to give miniaturized scale fund administrations to realize the financial upliftment of poor women.

v. National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW) to fortify the general procedures that advance all-round Development of Women.

vi. Sabla Scheme for all-encompassing improvement of young women in the age group of 11-18 years.

Moreover, some of the laws enacted by the government also provide protection to people irrespective of their gender. For instance, Equal Remuneration Act, 1973 accommodates instalment of equivalent compensation to labourers for a similar work of comparative nature with no segregation. With the end goal to guarantee standardized savings to the specialists incorporating women in the disorderly segment, the Government has sanctioned the Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Act 2008. Additionally, The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 covers all people, regardless of their age or business status and secure them against lewd behaviour at all working environments both out in the open and private segment, whether composed or chaotic.

Role of United Nations:

The United Nations has been quite active in supporting the Indian government towards achieving its goal on gender equality. In 2008, the UN Secretary-General propelled the UNiTE to End Violence against Women crusade with the mean to raise open mindfulness and increment political will and assets for averting and consummation all types of viciousness against women. Through its promotion activities at the worldwide, territorial and national dimensions, the UNiTE crusade is attempting to activate people and networks. Notwithstanding supporting the longstanding endeavours of women and common society associations, the battle is effectively captivating with men, youngsters, VIPs, craftsmen, sports identities, private part and some more.

Moreover, the making of UN Women came to fruition as a major aspect of the UN change plan, uniting assets and orders on gender equality. In India, UN Women works intimately with the Government of India and common society to set national benchmarks for accomplishing gender equity. UN Women attempts to fortify women’s financial strengthening through its help to women agriculturists, and manual foragers. As a major aspect of its work on harmony and security, UN Women trains peacekeepers to identify and stop strife related sexual brutality.

Women have been battling for equivalent rights for ages, for the privilege to cast a ballot, the privilege to control their bodies and the privilege of equality in the working environment. What’s more, these fights have been hard battled, yet regardless we have far to go, in treating the women as equal to men. Fairness in the working environment — women in a scope of fields from household work to media outlets can let you know — it’s still only a fantasy. Today, an ever-increasing number of activists and social researchers trust that mandatory sexual orientation sensitisation workshops for different city specialists, including the police and the legal, is a standout amongst the most huge routes towards accomplishing a change in outlook in mentality and conduct.

Perhaps, we can at least dream of a society in the course of future who does not treat people of different gender differently.

Equality , Gender Equality , Social Issues

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Essay on Gender Discrimination

• Updated on  
• Jul 14, 2022

One of the challenges present in today’s society is gender discrimination. Gender discrimination is when someone is treated unequally based on their gender. Gender discrimination is not just present in the workplace but in schools, colleges and communities as well. As per the Civil Rights Act of 1964,  gender discrimination is illegal in India. This is also an important and common essay topic in schools and competitive exams such as IELTS , TOEFL , SAT , UPSC , etc. Let’s explore some samples of essay on gender discrimination and tips for writing an impactful essay.

Tips for Writing an Impactful Essay

If you want to write a scoring and deep impact essay, here are some tips for writing a perfect informative essay:

• The most important and first step is to write an introduction and background information about and related to the topic
• Then you are also required to use the formal style of writing and avoid using slang language
• To make an essay more impactful, write dates, quotations, and names to provide a better understanding
• You can use jargon wherever it is necessary as it sometimes makes an essay complicated
• To make an essay more creative, you can also add information in bulleted points wherever possible
• Always remember to add a conclusion where you need to summarise crucial points
• Once you are done read through the lines and check spelling and grammar mistakes before submission

Essay on Gender Discrimination in 200 Words

One of the important aspects of a democratic society is the elimination of gender discrimination. The root cause of this vigorous disease is the stereotypical society itself. When a child is born, the discrimination begins; if the child is male, he is given a car, bat and ball with blue, and red colour clothes, whereas when a child is female, she is given barbie dolls with pink clothes. We all are raised with a mentality that boys are good at sports and messy, but girls are not good at sports and are well organised. This discriminatory mentality has a deeper impact when girls are told not to work while boys are allowed to do much work. This categorising males and females into different categories discriminating based on gender are known as gender discrimination. Further, this discriminatory behaviour in society leads to hatred, injustice and much more. This gender discrimination is evident in every woman’s life at the workplace, in educational institutions, in sports, etc., where young girls and women are deprived of their rights and undervalued. This major issue prevailing in society can be solved only by providing equality to women and giving them all rights as given to men.

Essay on Gender Discrimination in 300 Words 

Gender Discrimination, as the term signifies, is discrimination or discriminatory behaviour based on gender. The stereotypical mindset of people in the past has led to the discrimination that women face today. According to Kahle Wolfe, in 2015, women earned 83% of the income paid to men by working the same hours. Almost all women are not only discriminated against based on their salaries but also on their looks.

Further, most women are allowed to follow a certain dress code depending upon the work field and the dress women wear also decides their future career.

This dominant male society teaches males that women are weak and innocent. Thus women are mostly victims and are targeted in crimes. For example, In a large portion of the globe, women are blamed for rapes despite being victims because of their clothes. This society also portrays women as weaker and not eligible enough to take a stand for themselves, leading to the major destruction of women’s personalities as men are taught to let women down. This mindset of people nowadays is a major social justice issue leading to gender discrimination in society.

Further, gender-based discrimination is evident across the globe in a plethora of things, including sports, education, health and law. Every 1 out of 3 women in the world is abused in various forms at some point in their lives by men. This social evil is present in most parts of the world; in India, women are burnt to death if they are incapable of affording financial requirements; in Egypt, women are killed by society if they are sensed doing something unclean in or out of their families, whereas in South Africa baby girls are abandoned or killed as they are considered as burden for the family. Thus gender discrimination can be only eliminated from society by educating people about giving equal rights and respect to every gender.

Top Universities for Gender Studies Abroad

UK, Canada and USA are the top three countries to study gender studies abroad. Here’s the list of top universities you can consider to study abroad for Indian students if you planning to pursue gender studies course abroad:

We hope this blog has helped you in structuring a terrific essay on gender discrimination. Planning to ace your IELTS, get expert tips from coaches at Leverage Live by Leverage Edu .

Sonal is a creative, enthusiastic writer and editor who has worked extensively for the Study Abroad domain. She splits her time between shooting fun insta reels and learning new tools for content marketing. If she is missing from her desk, you can find her with a group of people cracking silly jokes or petting neighbourhood dogs.

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Recruiting change: Addressing gender inequities in enumerator hiring

Female enumerators are underrepresented in the social sector. learn how idinsight and deltadata are making their hiring process more inclusive..

In India, this is particularly salient in the gender composition of enumerator teams. At IDinsight and  DataDelta , we have consistently observed a low representation of female enumerators in our teams in India. Despite recognising the importance of hiring more female enumerators for reasons of equity, data representation, and data quality we struggle to do so. 

Why is this the case? In part, it’s because we receive fewer applications from women for enumerator roles than their male counterparts. This is consistent with India’s  female labor force participation , and partly a result of social norms and other barriers that limit employment opportunities for women. Through our conversations with enumerators, we realized that some unknown biases might also permeate our hiring process and hinder women’s ability to take up these positions. In order to investigate this, we analyzed our hiring data across three DataDelta projects using a gender lens. We studied each step of the process to determine if any of our hiring considerations systematically disadvantage female candidates and developed recommendations to address them.

We found that the only stage at which female candidates score lower than their male counterparts is one that accounts for their access to assets and prior work and educational opportunities. These included access to a bank account, motorbike, driving license, post-graduate degree, and work experience. In interviews, training sessions, and field pilots, women perform at least as well as men. Relaxing these criteria has helped make our hiring process more inclusive and our teams more representative.

We also wanted to know if lowering these criteria had any implications for the productivity or quality of data collected by our enumerators. We will be exploring this, and the relationship between enumerator gender and data quality, in our next blog post. In this blog, we share our process for identifying barriers to employment opportunities for enumerator roles in DataDelta. We hope that others might use similar approaches to identify barriers to employment opportunities at their organizations, and as a sector, we can move towards more inclusive hiring practices.

How we approached understanding the barriers to employment

For each project, DataDelta aims to hire a team of hyper-local enumerators who are demographically representative so they will be familiar with the local language and context. This improves the degree of comfort between the enumerators and respondents. It also mitigates the costs of arranging transport and accommodation for surveyors for the period of data collection.

i) Round I: Application form

DataDelta’s hiring process for enumerators comprises three stages – a review of the candidate’s application form, an interview, and their performance in training and field pilot sessions. The application form typically includes questions about the candidate’s name, age, gender, and home district; language familiarity; educational qualifications; (relevant) work experience; and access to a motorcycle, driving license, Permanent Account Number (PAN), and a Bank Account. At the first stage, each of these criteria is a prerequisite for being shortlisted for the subsequent round i.e. the interview. This shortlisting of candidates from their form responses takes place through an automated process.

In the first project we analyzed, our team followed the traditional DataDelta model of surveyor hiring. We observe that  for every 100 male applicants, ~38 were called for an interview; for every 100 female candidates, only ~13 made it through – a 25 percentage point difference.  Keeping in mind women’s  mobility ,  education , and  labor force participation  rates in the country, especially in rural areas, such stark differences in men’s and women’s access to motorbikes, driving licenses, postgraduate degrees, and prior work experience is not surprising. 

In our second project, the team had relaxed the requirements for motorbikes and driving licenses for all applicants, and instead relied on public transportation systems and rented auto-rickshaws for enumerator’s commute.  Based on the auto-shortlist, ~30% of the male applicants and ~24% of the female applicants were selected – a 6 percentage point difference.  We observe that relaxing the requirements for motorcycles and driving licenses alone significantly bridges the gap between the percentage of male and female applicants shortlisted at this stage.

In an attempt to recruit an enumerator team with equal gender representation, the third project team had also relaxed considerations of post-graduate degree and prior work experience for all applicants. Instead, the team provided rented cars, extended training sessions, and increased field pilots.  Post the auto-shortlist on the basis of home district, language familiarity, undergraduate degree, and access to PAN and Bank Account, 48% of male and 45% of female applicants were selected for the subsequent round – a significantly improved 3 percentage point difference.

We observe that the list of access-related prerequisites at the first stage of the enumerator hiring process systematically disadvantaged female candidates compared to their male counterparts. When we relaxed these requirements, the gap between the proportion of male and female candidates selected for the subsequent stages was reduced. Their performance in these rounds is detailed below.

ii) Round II and III: Interview and training and field pilot sessions

As per the process, those shortlisted were interviewed and assessed virtually by the field leadership team with questions on math, logical reasoning, and case studies to evaluate their aptitude for enumeration. While technical questions were included in the first two projects, they were replaced by more general acumen-related questions for the third project due to more flexible work experience requirements. As shown in the graphic, across all three projects, irrespective of the variation in hiring considerations, female candidates performed slightly better than their male counterparts and a higher proportion of them were invited for the training round. This is substantial as it shows that despite lower educational qualifications and lack of prior work experience,  female candidates have at least as much an aptitude for enumeration, in their interviews, as their (on average, more educated and experienced) male counterparts.

As the last step of the selection process, shortlisted candidates were invited to participate in training and field pilot sessions. The sessions took place in a centralized location and enumerators are remunerated for their time. Here, candidates are trained on the objectives of the survey, the survey instrument, DataDelta’s data collection protocols, and data quality checks. Post the classroom sessions, candidates hone their skills during field pilots. The lead evaluates candidates based on their attendance, participation, daily quiz scores, and performance during field pilots. Those shortlisted form the final enumeration team. A similar trend emerged across all three projects: a higher percentage of female candidates were selected for the respective enumeration teams based on their performance. This highlights their commitment, initiative, and ability to grasp the work despite having, in most cases, less education or work experience than their male counterparts.

We observed that the interview, training, and field sessions did not present any systemic disadvantage to female candidates. In fact, despite the differences in the educational qualification and work experience of the two gendered sub-groups, on average, female candidates performed at least as well as their male counterparts in these stages of the hiring process.

iii) Final team compositions and data quality

While such relaxations have played, and will continue to play, a crucial role in hiring more representative enumeration teams; renting private vehicles, and extending the number of days for training and pilot sessions comes with budgetary implications.  Beyond principle-based rationales of fairness, equity, and inclusivity; how do we justify these additional costs to our partners?  We analyzed productivity and data quality indicators for our enumerators disaggregated by gender. While we will share our detailed findings in our next blog, we found that  relaxing the hiring criteria had no negative implications for the productivity or quality of data collected by our female enumerators.

Key takeaways

Analysis of our hiring data through a gender lens has cautioned us against both  the risks and the futility of instituting considerations of access as entry barriers for employment opportunities.

1. First, the risk:  Our analysis shows that women perform less well than men at only one point in our hiring process – the point of access.  That is when they face the prerequisites of access to motorbikes, licenses, graduate degrees, and work experience at the application stage. In a hierarchical society like ours, access is largely a function of various axes of privilege. While we have only been able to analyze our hiring data from a gender lens so far, it is easy to imagine that the considerations of access that bias our process against female enumerators would also risk biasing it against other historically marginalized groups.  By instituting them as entry barriers for employment opportunities, we risk perpetuating the very same social inequalities that we seek to eradicate.  On the corollary, relaxing such barriers has helped make our recruitment process more fair.

2. Second, the futility: We also observe that even when we lower requirements for educational qualifications and prior work experience when given the opportunity and training, female candidates and enumerators consistently perform at par with their male counterparts. This includes their performance in interviews, training, field pilot sessions, and actual data collection.  This goes to show such qualifications are inadequate indicators of talent, and the skills required for enumeration are highly teachable.  Instituting practices that allow candidates who showcase the underlying acumen for enumeration to be recruited and trained, rather than restricting hiring to those who already have prior work experience, has helped us make our hiring processes more inclusive.

This experience has taught us that even when operating in deeply unequal societies, it is possible to structure hiring, training, and performance processes to be equitable, and to uncover and nurture acumen and potential in female candidates that barriers to access otherwise obscure. We intend to use these findings to make our enumerator hiring process more inclusive by de-linking considerations of access with opportunity, to the extent possible.  While it may not always be possible to hire 50% female enumerators, we do commit to more meaningfully fulfilling our role as equal-opportunity recruiters by reducing barriers to entry for female enumerators, finding cost-effective ways to support their learning and performance, and working with partners to understand the equity and impact benefits of doing so.

Acknowledgements 

With thanks to the DataDelta Gender & Intersectionality Working Group – Sarah T. Lucas, Krishanu Chakraborty, Shreya More, Isha Fuletra and Anushka Sharma – as well as Puneet Kaur and Lenny Tin.

This article was  originally published  on  IDinsight .

The second article in this series can be found here .

Do you ever look around certain rooms, most rooms, and find yourself dismayed at the (lack of) representativeness of it? Some exclusions or under-representations are visible at first glance, others […]

Priavi Joshi is an associate at IDinsight , based in New Delhi, India.

If you like what you're reading and find value in our articles, please support IDR by making a donation.

• Previous Article

The benefits of gender diversity are well known – it increases effectiveness and efficiency and strengthens decision-making. Yet, the IMF Executive Board continues to fall short of reaching gender balance, with women constituting a small minority of the Executive Directors and Alternate Executive Directors. There is a clear need for change. The IMFC has called on the membership to take action, including by introducing voluntary medium-term objectives to raise the number of women holding leadership positions at the Board. This report summarizes the Executive Board’s recommendations for these targets and lays out proposals for concerted actions that can be taken by individual countries and constituencies

Gender Diversity in the Executive Board—2024 Report to the Board of Governors

The benefits of gender diversity are well known – it increases effectiveness and efficiency and strengthens decision-making. Yet, the IMF Executive Board continues to fall short of reaching gender balance, with women constituting a small minority of the Executive Directors and Alternate Executive Directors. There is a clear need for change. The IMFC has called on the membership to take action, including by introducing voluntary medium-term objectives to raise the number of women holding leadership positions at the Board. This report summarizes the Executive Board’s recommendations for these targets and lays out proposals for concerted actions that can be taken by individual countries and constituencies .

• A Mandate from the IMFC

1. Following repeated calls from the IMFC to improve the gender diversity profile of the IMF Executive Board, there is a pressing need for action to increase the number of women holding the position of Executive Director or Alternate Executive Director on the Board. The dearth of women at the Executive Board is particularly striking given the IMF’s good progress in strengthening the diversity of its leadership at the level of Managing Director, First Deputy Managing Director, Deputy Managing Director and Department Director.

2. To achieve progress by increasing the number of women at the Board, the Executive Board should move swiftly to take forward the mandate given by the IMFC through the Fall 2023 Chair’s Statement where it called for voluntary objectives to increase the representation of women at the IMF Executive Board.

3. The current share of women holding the position of Executive Director (3 out of 24) and Alternate Executive Director (4 out of 31) on the IMF Executive Board is low. A recent working paper by the Center for Global Development shows that the gender diversity of the IMF Executive Board is also below that of several comparator international financial institutions (IFIs), including the World Bank, OECD, WTO, EBRD, EIB, and AfDB (see Figure 1 ). Some of them have made more progress on improving gender diversity than the IMF, although women are not yet equally represented on their executive boards.

• Download Figure
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4. The stronger performance of other IFIs in appointing women to leadership positions suggests that focused commitment to the increased representation of women in senior roles in government and public sector yields results. The Board places high priority on matching the progress made by other comparators institutions.

5. Many member countries have already engaged within their central banks and ministries to work on improving gender diversity. While change takes time, the number of women in leadership positions in G20 central bank bodies responsible for monetary policy indicates strong progress is being made in many countries.

6. It is particularly striking that the Fund continues to lag behind its closest comparator organization, the World Bank. The Bank continues to have more women in these positions, especially at the Alternate Executive Director level. The Bank also continues to demonstrate higher percentages of women appointed to Senior Advisor and Advisor positions, for which voluntary collective employment targets have been established.

Gender Diversity in International Financial Insitutions Boards (percent women)

Citation: Policy Papers 2024, 006; 10.5089/9798400273933.007.A001

G20 Central Banks: Monetary Policy Decision Making Bodies (percent women)

• Proposal for Collective Voluntary Objectives

7. The Executive Board is taking forward the direction provided by the IMFC to define collective voluntary objectives for increasing the number of women Executive Directors and Alternate Executive Directors on the Board and to advocate for their achievement. When developing the proposed objectives, due consideration has been given to different processes among member countries and constituencies for appointing Executive Directors and Alternate Executive Directors.

8. The Executive Board agrees that voluntary collective objectives should be ambitious yet realistic. Given the low number of women represented at the Board throughout the Fund’s history and the slow progress made in recent years, an ambitious objective is important to signal the critical need to make progress. The different selection processes for Executive Director and Alternate Executive Director in each country or constituency will, however, require bespoke methods for achieving the objectives .

9. The Executive Board has agreed to establish collective voluntary medium-term objectives for the appointment of women as Executive Director and Alternate Executive Director combined of at least 30–40 percent over three election cycles, starting with the 2024 regular election of Executive Directors. This is a concrete first step towards the aspiration to reach parity.

10. A combined target of 30–40 percent women as Executive Director or Alternate Executive Director would imply 16–22 women in these positions. Currently, the Board comprises 7 women in these positions. A strong push will be required.

11. Given the turnover of Board members, which also takes place outside of the regular election cycles, it is inevitable that the share of women at Executive Director and/or Alternate Executive Director will vary from year to year, even month to month. Of the 24 Offices of Executive Directors, six have never had a woman appointed in the position of Executive Director or Alternate Executive Director. It is encouraging that one of these constituencies has advised its commitment to elect its first women Executive Director in the next rotation. Recently one constituency has selected a woman to serve as its next Alternate Executive Director, which will increase the number of women at the Board in the position of Executive Director or Alternate Executive Director to 8 women, or 15 percent. These are very positive developments. The aim with the voluntary objective is to ensure a steady and sustainable upward trend in the representation of women in leadership positions at the Board.

Offices of Executive Directors History of Women’s Employment: Executive Directors and Alternate Executive Directors (number of women)

• Actions to Help Move the Needle

12. Gender diversity objectives can be helpful to maintain progress, but they need to go hand in hand with intentional action, including during merit-based recruitment and appointment processes, to be effective. While a lack of pipeline can be an issue to differing extent in different countries, there is also evidence that setting targets can be effective in reducing gender biases in merit-based appointments, generating different outcomes in recruitment from the same talent pool.

13. Building on the different experiences of countries’ and constituencies’ selection processes, the Executive Board will work with authorities to leverage an array of ways to gain the support of decision-makers in reaching the objectives, including:

Outreach . Recognizing the importance of up-to-date and easy-to-digest information and data, the Executive Board will continue to provide updated statistics – most notably the factsheet “Gender Diversity in the IMF Executive Board” -with country authorities ahead of the IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. Other options for Executive Board members to conduct outreach include: leveraging IMF management’s stature and visibility and access to key-decision makers, including through written communication to Governors; as well as written communication from Executive Directors/Alternate Executive Directors to their constituencies.

Gender champions . Executive Directors and other Board members play a key role in raising awareness with their authorities, advocating for change, and acting as champions for gender diversity. Continuous communication, including during missions, on the need to improve the IMF Executive Board gender diversity will be helpful. Raising the issue at the highest level will also be important to ensure that the information reaches those with direct influence over appointments to the Board, which varies across countries and constituencies.

Influencing recruitment processes . Setting gender targets/objectives has become a common practice in several member country government authorities. Extending such gender objectives to appointments in international organizations should be encouraged. Constituencies could also incorporate gender objectives and expectations formally in their agreements on rotation arrangements; for example, some constituencies have adopted regular rotations of male and female candidates at the Executive Director and Alternate Executive Director level to ensure at least one member of the country’s/constituency’s leadership is a woman at all times. While this example showcases an effective approach, it is recognized that it may not be applicable to all.

Strengthen pipelines . Executive Board members should work with authorities to help develop strategies to build pipelines of women in senior positions that could be considered for leadership positions at the IMF Executive Board, including through mentoring, proactive identification and recruitment, and by highlighting the work of the IMF Executive Board.

Recognition of positive progress . Acknowledging the importance of positive recognition, the WGGD will, in addition to highlighting countries/constituencies with current female representation at the highest level, consider further ways to shine light on the progress being made, including in the progress reports to the Board of Governors.

• Accountability and Measuring Progress

14. The proposed objective is a collective goal to increase the number of women on the Board, while the decisions to select candidates for the roles of Executive Director and Alternate Executive Director rests with individual member country authorities. These individual decisions should, however, pursue the shared goal of improving the governance of the Fund through greater gender diversity on the Executive Board.

15. Reporting and accountability is important for enacting change and monitoring progress through time. In addition to its regular reporting to the Board of Governors on the gender diversity profile of the Executive Board, data on each chair’s/constituency’s representation of women in leadership positions over the last ten years with the Executive Board will be published on IMFConnect on a regular basis. Selected data on the gender composition of Offices of Executive Director will also be shared with the Board of Governors and included in the Fund’s Annual Report.

16. The WGGD will continue its work to raise awareness about the need for improved gender diversity in the Executive Board at all levels and garner support for the need for action, including through the following actions:

i) Consider ways to support the implementation of the collective voluntary objectives for the appointment of women as Executive Director and Alternate Executive Director as well as regular reporting on the progress made in the determined timeframe.

ii) Continue to report on the progress made towards meeting the voluntary targets introduced in 2016 for Senior Advisor (35% – 45%) and Advisor (40% – 50%) level over time.

Senior Advisors: Status of Voluntary Targets35%-45%

iii) Share best practices to help members to develop a pipeline of candidates for Executive Director and Alternative Executive Director positions to help meet the voluntary objectives.

iv) Consider other ways to engage member country authorities and ensure their support and participation towards reaching the objectives, to be reviewed and agreed by the Executive Board.

v) Continue to support activities to build a supportive work environment for women working in the Executive Board, including through the OED Women’s Network, and continue engaging with other IFIs to exchange experiences and best practices on how to improve Board gender diversity.

17. To support this initiative and ongoing conversation, the Executive Board commits to raise this issue with relevant decision makers to garner their support and participation towards reaching the objectives. To this end, Executive Directors will share the attached fact sheet with their authorities.

• Annex I. Spring 2024 Factsheet

Gender Diversity in the IMF Executive Board—Spring 2024

Other IMF Content

• Gender Diversity in The Executive Board—Interim Report of The Executive Board to The Board of Governors
• Gender Diversity In The Executive Board—Report Of The Executive Board To The Board Of Governors
• Gender Diversity in the Executive Board—Draft Report of the Executive Board to the Board of Governors
• IMF Executive Board’s First Report to the Board of Governors on Gender Diversity in the Executive Board
• Invested in Gender Diversity
• Gender Diversity at the Executive Board and its Shared Benefits
• IMF Strategy Toward Mainstreaming Gender
• Board Gender Diversity in ASEAN
• Since the time of the last report of the Executive Board on its gender diversity, profound changes have taken place globally, exposing wide social and economic disparities.
• Interim Guidance Note on Mainstreaming Gender at The IMF

Other Publishers

Asian development bank.

• CAREC Gender Assessment: Supplementary Documentary for the CAREC Gender Strategy 2030
• CAREC Gender Strategy 2030
• Gender Gaps in Ownership of Nonagricultural Enterprises in Georgia, Mongolia, and the Philippines
• Greater Mekong Subregion Gender Strategy
• Impact of Gender Inequality on Long-Term Economic Growth in Mongolia
• Gender-Responsive Procurement in Asia and the Pacific: An Opportunity for an Equitable Economic Future
• Enhancing Gender Equality in Infrastructure Development: Theories of Change, Indicators, and Sector Strategies
• Accelerating Gender Equality in the Agribusiness Sector
• Barriers to Entry: Decomposing the Gender Gap in Job Search in Urban Pakistan
• Exploring the Gender Dimensions of Unpaid Care Work in the Lao People's Democratic Republic

Food and Agriculture Organization

• Gender, water and agriculture: Assessing the nexus in Egypt
• Good practices for promoting gender equality through rural advisory services: Case studies from Ethiopia, India and Peru

Inter-American Development Bank

• Executive Summary: Evaluation of the Bank's Support for Gender and Diversity
• Evaluation of the Bank's Support for Gender and Diversity
• Approach Paper: Evaluation of the Bank's Support for Gender and Diversity
• Gender Mainstreaming at the IDB: A Report to the Board of Executive Directors on the Implementation of the WID Action Plan 1998-2001
• An Integrated Analysis of the Impact of Gender Diversity on Innovation and Productivity in Manufacturing Firms
• Social, Racial and Gender Profile of the 500 largest Brazilian Companies: Executive Summary
• The Public Sector Premium and the Gender Gap in Latin America: Evidence from the 1980s and 1990s
• Women in the Americas: Bridging the Gender Gap
• Working Within Confines: Occupational Segregation by Gender in Three Latin American Countries
• Gender Gaps in Entrepreneurship and their Macroeconomic Effects in Latin America

International Labour Organization

• Gender equality and decent work: Selected ILO Conventions and Recommendations that promote gender equality as of 2012. Third revised edition 2012

The World Bank

• Gender Diversity in Ghanaian Boardrooms: An Abridged Report on Women on Boards of Corporate and Public Institutions in Ghana.
• Gender Diversity in Jordan: Research on the Impact of Gender Diversity on the Economic Performance of Companies in Jordan.
• Exploring the Diversity of Young People Not in Employment, Education or Training: The Gender Profile of NEETs in Georgia and Armenia
• Closing the Gender Gaps among Marginalized Roma in the Western Balkans: A Summary of Findings and Policy Recommendations
• Colombia Gender Assessment
• Compensation, Diversity and Inclusion at the World Bank Group
• Women in the Pipeline: A Dynamic Decomposition of Firm Pay Gaps
• Women and Trade: The Role of Trade in Promoting Gender Equality
• Gender and Investment Climate Reform Assessment: Pacific Regional Executive Summary.

Table of Contents

• Front Matter
• Gender Diversity in The Executive Board
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• Download Powerpoint Slide

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Commuters walk along a platform at a railway station in Mumbai, India, in April.

In an India divided by prosperity and poverty, whose dreams come true?

Story by Jessie Yeung, Priti Gupta and Esha Mitra, CNN Photographs by Noemi Cassanelli, CNN Published June 1, 2024

Mumbai, India — At 7 a.m., Rupali Rao Kilare starts getting ready for the day in the cramped home she shares with five family members.

Though the sun has long risen, some alleys remain pitch dark as she weaves through the slum where she lives in Mumbai’s Goregaon West neighborhood, its narrow walls wedged between tightly packed buildings that block the light.

Kilare, 22, must hurry to beat the crowds at the slum’s communal toilets, before taking a three-wheeled auto-rickshaw to her boss’ home for her cleaning shift.

Just 3 miles (about 5 kilometers) away in Goregaon East, Shreya Verma, 26, stirs awake in her air-conditioned bedroom, pulls back the curtains of her large windows and takes in the view of greenery and high-rise buildings.

Throwing on a blazer and stylish heels, she hops in an Uber to her office at an international tech firm, decorated with marble flooring and hanging plants.

Though the two women are separated by only a few years in age and a 20-minute drive, their starkly different lives illustrate India’s deepening wealth divide – and the inequality that has empowered some to reach new heights alongside the country’s fast-growing economy, while others are left behind.

That inequality has come under particular scrutiny during India's ongoing nationwide election, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is looking to add another term to his 10-year rule.

Though his far-right, Hindu-nationalist policies have courted controversy, Modi has also been credited with advancing India’s $3.7 trillion economy and bringing the country closer to becoming a global superpower.

But India remains a largely impoverished nation and the country’s wealth gap, according to a recent study , is more unequal than it was during British rule. That disparity is clearly visible in Mumbai , where the mansions of billionaire tycoons and Bollywood stars exist alongside vast slums and street beggars.

The financial hub is often described as “the City of Dreams,” attracting millions of migrants from across India hoping for their own success stories.

Verma is among them — and believes in Mumbai’s mythical potential to transform lives.

“Everybody here has a dream to do something in life,” Verma said. “This is the Bollywood city, right? So you see celebrities everywhere, you see people doing well for themselves — even an auto-rickshaw (driver) would want to do something for himself.”

Kilare has ambitions too. But the grueling, never-ending demands of her daily life highlight how much less accessible those dreams can be for some. “I wanted to be a teacher after completing my studies,” she said. "But life had different plans.”

Divergent childhoods

The two women were born in the country’s two biggest cities — Verma in the frenetic capital New Delhi and Kilare in Mumbai.

From the outset, their lives were poles apart.

Verma, an only child, regularly moved cities due to her father’s banking job, while her mother, a homemaker, cared for her. They would take weekend getaways and short trips around the country, enjoying the lush hills of northern India — then, as her father’s career advanced, taking international holidays.

She keenly remembers the first time they went to Europe when she was about 14 — the sights of Switzerland and France, including Paris Disneyland. It was especially significant because her father brought his parents, she said. They hadn’t grown up with money and it was their first time on a plane.

The family’s travels have shaped Verma’s personality and interests, she said — evident in her Instagram travel page. “If today somebody asked me, ‘What is it that you would want to do post-retirement' ... I would love to just travel around the globe,” she told CNN, sitting on cushions by her room’s bay window.

Kilare, meanwhile, has never moved from the slum where she was born and raised with her sister and two brothers. Her life was turbulent from the start, she said, as her father struggled with alcoholism — forcing his family to support themselves.

Kilare’s mother, a housekeeper, brought her to work sometimes, leaving the young girl to do her homework while she cleaned the houses of Mumbai’s wealthy. When she was just 8 years old, Kilare began working to help her out, she said, so small she had to stand on a stool to reach the sink to wash dishes.

Even now, she is still slight and petite at roughly 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall, with round cheeks and a high, almost childlike voice that make her seem younger than her age.

At age 14, she was forced to drop out of school in the ninth grade, when her mother fell sick. “I had to take care of the home and take on her work to support the family,” Kilare said.

Adding to the weight on her young shoulders was a $250 loan she took out to care for her mother’s health — which took two years to pay back.

Indian law guarantees free education for children aged 6 to 14, which has helped significantly raise literacy rates across the country. In slums across western Maharashtra state, where Mumbai is the capital, literacy had reached more than 84% according to the latest census in 2011.

But researchers and non-profit organizations say it’s far from enough, with many children who live in slums dropping out or never enrolling at all — sometimes because they must help care for their siblings while their parents work, or often when they start working at a young age themselves.

The problem is particularly acute for girls, who are encouraged to help out at home or marry young.

‘Vicious cycle’

As they entered adulthood, the differences between Verma and Kilare deepened.

After attending a renowned private school, Verma studied engineering at a top college in the southern city of Bangalore, also known as “India’s Silicon Valley.” The Covid-19 pandemic prompted her to visit her parents in Mumbai, where she ended up staying and finding her sales job at the tech firm.

“I was never one of those kids who came first in class ... but I think with luck and the kind of personality I developed over the years, I was able to crack the interview and I was able to get into (my job),” she said, pointing to the networking skills she’d learned from her father.

She never thought she’d be hired at such a big company — but "it was all about grabbing those opportunities,” she said. “You know, opportunity is like a balloon, it's going to come to everybody, you just have to hold it and make use of it.”

Kilare, however, was never able to return to school. Instead, her parents arranged for her to marry an auto-rickshaw driver; her grandmother even threatened not to see Kilare on her deathbed if she didn’t go ahead with the union.

Kilare agreed. She was 19.

Her marriage began with — and remains haunted by — endless loans, she said. They’d borrowed $300 for the wedding celebrations, which are culturally significant and often extravagant in India. But after moving to Pune, her husband’s home city in Maharashtra, the couple was dogged by loan sharks demanding repayment at sky-high interest rates that pushed their debt to $2,000.

With little choice, they moved back to Mumbai, where Kilare’s former employers hired her back as a cleaner while her husband got a job as a school clerk. “Still, the money we earn is not enough,” Kilare said. Together, they make about $200 a month – which goes toward supporting family members and repaying the loan.

To appease the loan sharks, “my husband kept taking loans to repay one loan,” Kilare said. “To pay that loan, he took another loan ... It’s a vicious cycle of loans.”

Not long ago, Kilare’s family was dealt another blow. She fell while getting off the bus, injuring her leg so badly she couldn’t work for two months. Her mother took out another loan for her treatment, landing them in even greater debt.

“We did ask our relatives to help us (with the loan), but no one helped us,” she said.

‘I must also try hard’

Verma’s days now are a colorful tapestry of hobbies and events, which she says is key to balancing out her strenuous work hours.

After coming home in the evenings, she attends dance or boxing classes; on weekends she explores new cafes, does volunteer work, and goes out with friends to brunch or the movies.

On quieter days she plays ukulele at home, or drinks tea with her parents on their small balcony overlooking the park. They’re a tight-knit family; her parents poke gentle fun at each other, and the household is often filled with laughter.

In many ways, Verma represents the millions of young, upwardly mobile Indians across the country — educated, English-speaking and cosmopolitan; her family propelled forward in just two generations by the nation’s rapid economic growth.

Part of that, she says, is thanks to Prime Minister Modi and “the kind of image he has created for the country abroad,” attracting foreign businesses and tourists. Another reason, she says, is Mumbai’s unique hustle culture — the fact that everybody, from people living in slums to aspiring actors and middle-class workers, wants more for themselves.

Verma recalled one time her Uber driver glimpsed the towers of her apartment complex on the horizon. Not realizing she lived there, the driver said: “Man, someday I’m going to get my house there. Someday I wish to stay there.” When the car pulled up at her home, “he looked at me like, wow,” Verma said.

To her, his declaration embodied the dreamers’ spirit and determination that sets Mumbai apart — and highlights the privileges of the fortunate.

“Even when you're walking on the street, you see this sort of disparity, but at the same time you appreciate the kind of effort these people are putting in day in, day out,” she said. “I have to come to an air-conditioned office every day. But at the same time, I do realize that the Uber guy who's dropping me off is somebody who has to do at least 20 trips to make ends meet.”

Kilare’s days are packed, too — she works seven days a week, cleaning multiple homes. She takes an afternoon break to run home and prepare food for the family, and do other chores, before going back to work until as late as 11 p.m.

“I have no ‘me time’ as I am working constantly,” she said. But, she added, her life didn’t strike her as particularly hard. “I started working at a very young age so now I enjoy working and am used to working,” she told CNN in a small public square outside her home, where water dripped from drying laundry.

Her leg still hurts if she stands on it too long, and she sometimes gets dizzy spells, she said. Despite her health and financial problems, she is now thinking about having children — under pressure from her mother-in-law, and keen for a family herself.

“I have waited four years (since marriage) to have one, so whenever I get pregnant I will have a child,” she said.

And as she plans for the future, she thinks of the homes she’s cleaned since she was a young girl; the wealthy employers and their privileged children, some about her age, who attended good schools before pursuing successful careers.

“When I go to work at different places, good homes, I also feel that I should work hard to reach a stage where I can have a better life,” she said. “My thinking has changed. I wonder, if these people can work hard and study and lead a good life, I must also try hard.”

She would like to become a teacher, learn English, and how to use computers, which “will give me better opportunities,” she said. But when asked how she plans to pay off her loans, go back to school, or raise a child while in debt, she wavers.

“I am capable of working and studying if given the chance,” she said. “But I keep thinking, if I fulfill my wish of studying, how will I run my life and household? ... Right now, my financial conditions don’t let me do that.”

She glances at her mother behind her on the doorstep of their home; time is running out; she has to make dinner and her next cleaning shift begins in a few short hours. Ducking beneath the crisscrossing maze of hanging clothes, she turns away and goes back to work.