India’s Economic Ambitions and the Need for Better Gender Data

Context

• Women contribute only 18% to India’s GDP, despite making up nearly half the population.

• India’s aspiration to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047 requires inclusive growth, which is impossible without harnessing women’s potential.

• Nearly 196 million employable women are outside the workforce. FLFPR has improved to 41.7%, but only 18% are in formal employment.

Importance of Gender-Disaggregated Data

• Current indices on health, economy, and infrastructure rarely disaggregate data by gender.

• Without a gender lens, participation gaps and systemic barriers remain invisible.

• Gender data helps identify structural barriers (school-to-skill, skill-to-work, entrepreneurship-to-credit transitions).

Case Study: Uttar Pradesh’s WEE Index

• First district-level Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Index launched in India.

• Tracks participation across five levers:

  1. Employment

  2. Education and Skilling

  3. Entrepreneurship

  4. Livelihood and Mobility

  5. Safety and Inclusive Infrastructure

• Example: In UP’s transport sector, data showed low female participation → recruitment redesign + women’s restrooms in bus terminals.

Key Insights

• Women dominate skilling enrolment (>50%) but remain underrepresented in entrepreneurship and credit access.

• Data reveals not just participation gaps but systemic finance and enterprise barriers.

• Catalytic for reforms in infrastructure, employment, and policy.

Policy Implications

1. Universal Gender-Disaggregated Data: integrate gender metrics in MIS across departments (MSME, housing, transport, etc.).

2. Rethink Gender Budgeting: move beyond welfare schemes → apply gender lens to every rupee spent.

3. Local Capacity Building: strengthen panchayats and local bodies to collect and act upon gender data.

4. Replication by States: Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana (with trillion-dollar goals) can adopt WEE Index-type tools.

Conclusion

• Gender data is the starting block, not the finish line.

• Making women’s economic contributions visible, measurable, and actionable is essential to move them from margins to mainstream.

• Inclusive growth = sustainable path to $30 trillion economy by 2047.