Act now on gender equality

Context: The Covid-19 has affected gender equality in the economic arena.  India’s response to this challenge will decide its future economic success.

Economic gender inequality:

• Women made up just 20% of the workforce between 2014-19 in India

• • • The global figure is around 65%
• Women’s share of job loss due to COVID has been over 20% in India (the global figure is  5.7%)

• Factors responsible for this:

• Coronavirus increased the burden of unpaid care i.e. family care
• Negative attitudes toward women employment during job scarcity
• Reduced capital available to support the micro-enterprises 

• Can lower Global GDP by $1 trillion in 2030: If action not taken on this issue
• Can increase Global GDP by $13 trillion in 2030: If gender-parity improvements are made

Way forward:

• Taking action now to make gender-equality gains and drive inclusive growth. 
• Gender equality policies need to be tailored to national contexts.
• Increasing women’s labour-force participation
• Can lead to 60% of the expected gains from increasing gender equality
• Reducing the amount of unpaid work and rebalance it between men and women
• Supporting employer or provide state-funding for provision of childcare
• Addressing digital and financial inclusion 
• Changing entrenched attitudes about women’s role in society
• Addressing broader societal aspects of gender inequality
•  Such as safeguarding girls’ education, tackling violence against women, etc.

Conclusion: What is good for gender equality is also good for the economy; it is more important than ever in during the pandemic. India’s policymakers and business leaders need to step up and make gender equality a reality.