Women-centric development – India Inc must help enhance the role of women in nation building

Source: The post is based on the article “India Inc must help enhance the role of women in nation building” published in Live Mint on 7th February 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Inclusive growth and issues arising from it..

Relevance: About women-centric development.

News: A paradigm shift is observed in reorienting India’s direction of economic growth, especially in curating women-centric career opportunities.

What is India’s progress in women-centric development?

From freedom fighters and political heroes to business successes, women leaders have exemplified ‘Naari Shakti’. Such as, a) The literacy rate of women has been rising steadily since independence, b) India is also bridging the gender literacy gap, c) India is pursuing an idea of ‘women-led development, and d) From space, aviation, science, sports, business, philanthropy and education to any other sphere, India have examples that do every citizen proud and serve as role models.

However, all this needs to go alongside steadily rising female labour participation.

Why women-centric development is essential?

a) India’s $5 trillion economy aim can’t be realized without women’s contribution to GDP, b) By offering equal opportunity to women, the country could add an estimated $770 billion to its GDP by 2025 and raise its household per capita income higher than it would otherwise be, and c) women’s empowerment will have a ripple effect in the society.

What are the challenges to women-centric development?

Lack of upskilling, a sense of complacency and missing chances for networking while meeting family and social responsibilities have been identified as drawbacks for women in their career progression.

What should be done to improve women-centric development?

-Leaders must design gender-neutral leadership roles to foster a cohesive ecosystem and enable women to rise. This is because a gender balance in managerial ranks is globally considered a sign of economic progress.

– An overhaul of educational and parental inculcation and rejection of gender prejudice are critical elements for a cross-sectional transformation to maximize Naari Shakti.