IIM Ahmedabad Highlights District-Level Insights on Women's Empowerment in India: Progress in Decision-Making, Jobs

Despite improvements in literacy, only 46.1% of districts showed substantial gains in educational empowerment.

The Gender Centre at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has launched a comprehensive report on the status of women's empowerment in India, with a focus on district-level data. The report, titled "Women’s Empowerment at the Subnational Level: Towards Achieving Gender Equality (SDG 5)", presents a detailed analysis of women’s progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) on gender equality, revealing significant gains in decision-making but highlighting persisting gaps in job participation and work-life balance.

Key Insights from the Report

The report introduces the Women Empowerment Index, a tool designed to measure empowerment at the district level across four key areas: decision-making and autonomy, economic empowerment, educational access, and work-life balance. It draws on data from over 700 districts, comparing findings from the National Family Health Surveys (NFHS-4 and NFHS-5).

Educational Empowerment: Despite improvements in literacy, only 46.1% of districts showed substantial gains in educational empowerment. While higher education rates have increased slightly, primary and secondary education figures have remained relatively stagnant, indicating that educational challenges persist.

Job Participation & Work-Life Balance: A critical gap remains in work-life balance and economic empowerment. Only 32.25% of districts reported that women felt they had a manageable balance between paid employment and unpaid domestic work. This imbalance, coupled with low participation in the formal labor market, hinders progress toward gender equality in the workforce.

Some of the most notable findings include:

Decision-Making & Autonomy: 67.5% of districts report improvements in women's decision-making, particularly in areas related to healthcare, household purchases, and financial autonomy. More women now make decisions either independently or jointly with their partners, marking a positive shift towards gender parity in household governance.

Asset Ownership: Ownership of assets, such as land or property, has increased for women, with 35% of districts reporting that women have joint or sole ownership of assets, compared to 29.09% during the NFHS-4 period.

Expert Perspectives on Work-Life Balance and Economic Empowerment

Speaking at the launch, Professor Satish Deodhar, Dean (Faculty) at IIMA, emphasized the need for greater male participation in household duties to support women’s workforce involvement. “Of the four parameters, the work-life balance showed the least progress. Only about 32% of women reported they could manage a balance between job and home responsibilities. Men’s reluctance to share domestic duties continues to affect women’s job participation and overall empowerment,” he noted.

Professor Vidya Vemireddy, Chairperson of the Gender Centre and co-author of the report, highlighted the potential of the Women Empowerment Index to inform local policies. “Our methodology provides district-level insights that will help stakeholders identify areas for targeted interventions, enabling more effective policymaking for women’s empowerment. This effort aims to complement ongoing national and state-level initiatives to achieve SDG 5 by offering localized solutions,” she said.

Panel Discussion on Women’s Workforce Participation

Following the report launch, a panel discussion titled ‘Women’s Workforce Participation’ was held. Panelists included Ms. Meha Patel, Vice Chairperson, Zydus Foundation; Dr. Ranjitha Puskur, Principal Scientist, International Rice Research Institute; Ms. Amrita Kumar, Director, Dayal Group; and Ms. Rumjhum Chatterjee, Chairperson, CII Centre for Women Leadership. The discussion focused on the systemic barriers preventing women from entering the workforce and the importance of institutional support for improving work-life balance.

Stakeholder Dialogue on Rural Women in Agri-Food Systems

In a precursor to the report launch, the Gender Centre at IIMA hosted a dialogue on “Realising Women’s Potential in Agri-Food Systems”, bringing attention to the unique challenges faced by rural women in agriculture. The event explored innovative practices to empower women in this critical sector.

The report offers a roadmap for future research and policy interventions, underscoring the need for greater focus on economic empowerment and balancing paid and unpaid work to ensure sustainable progress toward gender equality.