Unlocking India’s women workforce potential

Checks and Balances: Geetanjali Minhas discusses challenges in breaking the glass ceiling with three achievers

Women, Gender, judiciary, politics, business, law

Even though half of India’s population is made up of women, the Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) for women 15 years and above was only 40.3% in 2023-24. This is below the world average of 47% and the OECD average of 67%.

The economic benefits of increasing woman participation in workforce are well documented. A report by consulting firm Bain & Company and Magic Bus India Foundation says that India needs a 400 million woman workforce to achieve its GDP of $30 trillion for Viksit Bharat by 2047. The report also says that if India doubles its FLFPR to around 70% by 2047 it can unlock $14 trillion in economic value.

However, gender bias, patriarchy, lack of care-giving support, safety and sanitation are some of the issues that keep the women out of productive workforce system. From homes to classrooms to work in courtrooms, boardrooms and Parliament, women face structural and societal barriers at every level.

In this episode of #ChecksandBalances, Geetanjali Minhas spoke to three woman achievers and thought leaders to know how to bring in more women into the workforce.              

You can watch the episode here: https://youtu.be/nrZB6R9V_eM

Here are the highlights of what they said:

Women in the judiciary: a glass ceiling yet to break
Abha Singh, advocate and gender justice activist

There is deep-rooted gender disparity in India’s legal system. Despite a growing number of female law students—often outnumbering male students in law colleges—this parity fails to translate into the professional domain. Women remain largely absent in higher echelons of legal practice, particularly in top criminal and corporate law firms.

In the judiciary, the situation is more dire. Women constitute only 13.4% of judges in high courts, and a meagre 9.3% in the supreme court, despite a better representation of 36.3% at the district level. The progression to higher roles remains blocked by patriarchal norms, legacy appointments, and structural demands of uninterrupted service—something many women cannot meet due to familial responsibilities.

“Law was never seen as a woman’s profession. Criminal law is especially avoided by women due to societal stereotypes and safety concerns. Parents fear their daughters interacting with hardened criminals or handling rape and murder cases.”
Worse still, many states like Bihar, Jharkhand, and Tripura reportedly have no women judges at all. With such underrepresentation, the judicial system remains heavily skewed, often failing to bring gender-sensitive perspectives into legal deliberations.

Patriarchy and legacy in legal circles
The judiciary continues to be shaped by patriarchal traditions. Legacy appointments—where judgeship is passed from father to son—remain common and nepotism overshadows merit, especially for women. “We’ve had three generations of Chandrachuds in the judiciary. Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna’s uncle was a Supreme Court judge too.

The broader issue is the lack of a level-playing field in patriarchal institutions like the judiciary, STEM fields and politics. Women have the intellect and skill, but opportunities remain restricted.

Tokenism in corporate boards
While the Companies Act mandates at least one woman director on corporate boards, many appointments are symbolic. “These women often belong to the promoter’s family and lack real decision-making power.”

Even with legal mandates, true inclusion remains elusive. The need of the hour is not just representation, but substantive empowerment and agency in boardrooms.

Unsafe workplaces and sexual harassment
There is rampant sexual harassment in both organized and unorganized sectors. Despite the POSH Act mandating Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) in offices with over 10 employees, enforcement is weak.

“In many cases, whistle blowers are punished—transferred to remote locations or forced out of their jobs.”  Even ICC members lack job security, undermining their independence.

Family reactions often worsen the situation. “The first advice women receive at home is: ‘Quit your job.’”

Discrimination in career advancement
Women's careers are frequently deprioritized within families and society. Despite equal educational qualifications—say, from IIMs or IITs—men rise to CEO positions while women plateau at middle management, often due to maternity breaks or care-giving responsibilities.
Even today, women face longer job-search periods. “The glass ceiling isn’t just at the top. It begins at home, where ambition is quietly killed.”

Character assassination and legal bias
Especially in family law, women often suffer character assassination. Courts become hostile spaces where women's morality is targeted. “Even decades into marriage, husbands bring up baseless allegations just to win custody or defame their wives.”

Furthermore, delays in reporting sexual crimes are used against women, despite judicial rulings that justify late FIRs. “Systemic distrust in women’s testimonies fuels this injustice.”

According to the NCRB data, 6,400 young brides were burned alive in 2024. Yet most deaths are registered as kitchen accidents. “Where else in the world does this happen?”

Claims that dowry laws are misused ignore these brutal realities. The real issue lies in the system’s failure to hold police and judges accountable for timely and fair justice.

Education as the real empowerment tool
Despite initiatives like the midday meal scheme and the Right to Education Act, about 30% of girls drop out by secondary school, mostly due to lack of sanitation, stalking or household responsibilities.

For girls in rural and unorganized sectors, education is often sacrificed so they can care for younger siblings while mothers work. Ensuring high school completion, providing vocational training, and retaining girls in school are vital for lifting female labour force participation.

Even urban women struggle due to poor infrastructure—lack of crèches, long commutes, and no family support. “If we want more women in leadership, we need more flexible work arrangements, paternity leave and shared domestic responsibility.”

The path to gender justice demands more than token reforms. It requires systemic change, legal accountability, and most importantly, a shift in mindset—at home, at work, and in policy. “If you want women in the Fortune 500, you must first give them a fair shot at day one.”

Politics: A male fortress
In politics, women comprise only 12–13% of Parliament, kept out by lack of money and muscle power. Attempts to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill were thwarted, with MPs like Sharad Yadav tearing the bill in Parliament—a moment captured on national TV.

Some leaders argued only “elite urban women” would benefit. Calls for “reservation within reservation” (for OBC/SC/ST women) diluted the movement. Yet, the lawyer argues, oppression cuts across caste—whether it’s child marriage, domestic abuse, or workplace discrimination.
Delimitation issues and political resistance continue to stall meaningful progress, though recent efforts offer cautious optimism.

Beyond reservations: the power of competence and inclusivity
Madhuri Kanitkar, lieutenant general, Indian Army (retd), vice chancellor, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences

Pure reservations without nurturing competence can result in tokenism .Inclusion must be purposeful—valuing the unique perspectives women bring to leadership, decision-making, and innovation. Organizations benefit significantly from diversity, but societal norms must evolve concurrently to accept women in commanding roles.

Two-way transformation: organizational readiness & societal mindset
True progress requires organizations to offer flexibility and structural support—like childcare facilities and family-friendly policies. At Indian Oil, women working in refineries and as petrol pump attendants demonstrate how intentional policy changes have enabled women to thrive in non-traditional roles.

However, the larger hurdle lies within society, where traditional expectations burden working women with domestic roles, limiting their professional ascent. Change must also come from within families and communities, normalizing shared responsibilities.

Leadership, legacy & lifting others
Institutional gaps—like delayed training or lack of facilities—can hinder women’s progress. Resilience and policy reforms that enable equitable access, especially in fields like defence, where women have proven their mettle when given a fair chance are needed.

“As India’s first lieutenant-general couple, our journey illustrates the role of having a supportive partner and community in enabling dual-career families.”

Mentorship and grassroots empowerment
Mentorship, skill-building, and identifying grassroots leaders—especially in rural areas—are critical to creating sustainable change. Women leaders can mentor and uplift others where every empowered woman should bring at least five more along with her.

Navigating ambition with empathy
Women should learn to accept "being less than perfect" as a form of self-care. Ambition must be self-driven, not imposed—especially in fields like law, where women often choose corporate law over litigation due to perceived work-life balance concerns.

From homes to halls of power: cultivating equality from the start
Gender equality begins at home. Boys raised in gender-equal homes are more likely to become partners who support and respect empowered women. Empowerment isn't just about having a career—it’s about the freedom to choose and be treated with dignity in all roles.

Policies, mentorship and mindset shifts are all essential to ensure that women not only rise to the top but also have the tools and support to stay there—and bring others with them.

Bridging the gender gap: structural, social and policy barriers holding women back in india
Mitali Nikore, economist, gender mainstreaming expert and founder, Nikore Associates

Despite progress in education and some legislative reforms, India continues to face persistent challenges in ensuring equitable workforce participation and representation for women across sectors. From unpaid care work to workplace bias and safety concerns, multiple intersecting issues demand both policy overhaul and societal introspection.

The invisible weight of unpaid care work
One of the most significant barriers to women's workforce participation is the burden of unpaid care responsibilities. Without investment in the care economy, including accessible childcare, eldercare facilities, and formal recognition of domestic work, women's economic empowerment remains stifled.

Gender Bias in Education and Employment Choices
Although India has narrowed gender gaps in STEM education, a deep-seated occupational segregation persists. Women often gravitate towards academic or teaching roles in science rather than higher-paying tech or engineering jobs. Contributing factors include safety concerns, social conditioning, and lack of workplace flexibility.

Moreover, women's entrepreneurship is hindered by limited access to credit and biases in funding patterns, which push women into low-risk, low-return business models, contrasting sharply with male-dominated, better-funded ventures.

Institutional and Legal Barriers in the Private Sector
While legislation like the Maternity Benefit Act was designed to support working women, it has inadvertently become a deterrent to hiring women, especially in startups and MSMEs. It puts financial burden on employers without guarantee that the employee will return to work and they are reluctant to shoulder the full financial burden during maternity leave, leading to discriminatory hiring practices.

A better option is shared parental leave model, where leave can be split between both parents, and costs are shared between their respective employers. A Parental Leave Fund, akin to pension funds, has also been proposed to reduce direct financial pressure on companies while empowering employees through tax-free contributions.

Women on boards: representation vs. tokenism
While India leads among Asian countries in legislating for women on corporate boards, implementation often lacks substance. Many board appointments go to wives of promoters, raising concerns of token representation and proxies for their husbands.

The glass ceiling in corporate leadership
The absence of reservation policies at the CXO level means women face entrenched bias in leadership pipelines. Women are often seen as less capable of handling crises or leading large teams — perceptions rooted in unconscious bias. Breaking this requires structural changes in hiring, mentoring, and leadership development programs tailored to support high-potential women.

Aligning skilling with demand: sector-specific gender inclusion
A demand-driven approach to skilling and employment is crucial. Emerging sectors like logistics offer massive job opportunities, but gender stereotyping limits women's entry. Encouragingly, all-women warehouses are being piloted. Such initiatives need to be backed by tailored skilling programs and employer sensitization to ensure gender inclusion from the ground up.

Safety and public infrastructure: systemic gaps persist
Safety remains a major deterrent to women’s mobility and employment. While cities vary in perceived safety — Delhi women cite 6 PM as a curfew hour while Kolkata women feel safer till midnight — the lack of women in police forces and poor infrastructure design exacerbate risks. Despite a directive mandating women and child desks in every police station, compliance remains weak.

Urban design must prioritize visibility, lighting and open architecture to create safer public spaces. Media campaigns promoting helplines like 181 need celebrity support to raise awareness and normalize usage.

Weak grievance redressal under nirbhaya scheme
Despite setting up one-stop centres under the Nirbhaya scheme, the lack of follow-through after a complaint is filed discourages women from seeking justice. The post-complaint process is opaque and inefficient, highlighting the need for systemic reform in grievance redressal mechanisms.

Judiciary: legacy over merit
Even in the judiciary, women are concentrated in lower courts, primarily because such postings are closer to home. As they rise through the ranks, systemic issues like nepotism, family legacies and opaque promotions limit their advancement to the high courts and the supreme court. Despite merit, few women break through entrenched power structures dominated by male-dominated legal dynasties.

Political representation
Politics mirrors these trends. The Women's Reservation Act, 2023 is a landmark. Woman leaders like Rekha Gupta, Atishi and Diya Kumari exemplify how such representation, when backed by capability, can be transformative.

The BJP’s organizational strength and leadership, especially under the current Prime Minister, played a key role in pushing this bill through. It is now incumbent on parties to translate this legislative success into grassroots implementation, ensuring true gender equity in governance.