Key Highlights
- Female enrollment surpasses male enrollment at primary, upper‑primary and higher secondary levels (GPI > 1.0).
- Women’s labour‑force participation rose to 60.1% in 2023‑24, up from 49.8% in 2017‑18.
- Women hold roughly 39% of bank accounts and deposits, with rural women accounting for over 42% of accounts.
- DEMAT accounts owned by women jumped four‑fold, reaching 27.71 million in 2024.
- Women‑led startups expanded from 1,943 in 2017 to 17,405 in 2024, an 800% surge.
Detailed Insights
Education: The Gender Parity Index (GPI) for primary (1.03), upper‑primary (1.02) and higher secondary (1.02) remains above unity, indicating that girls are now out‑numbering boys in schools across these tiers. This trend reflects sustained policy focus on girl‑child education and improved access to schooling.
Labour Market: Female Labour‑Force Participation Rate (LFPR) climbed from 49.8% in 2017‑18 to 60.1% in 2023‑24. The rise is driven by greater enrolment in formal sectors, increased skill‑building programmes, and expanding opportunities in services, manufacturing, and digital economies.
Financial Inclusion: Women possess 39.2% of all bank accounts and contribute 39.7% of total deposits. Rural women’s share of accounts (42.2%) exceeds their urban counterparts, signalling a narrowing of the urban‑rural financial gap.
Capital Market Participation: DEMAT accounts held by women surged from 6.67 million in 2021 to 27.71 million in 2024 – a 4.2‑times increase. Although the absolute number remains lower than men’s, the rapid growth points to rising financial literacy and confidence in equity investments.
Entrepreneurship & Start‑ups: Female‑led proprietary establishments have expanded across manufacturing, trade and services. Start‑ups with at least one woman director rose from 1,943 in 2017 to 17,405 in 2024, reflecting the impact of gender‑focused policy incentives.
Political Engagement: Female voter turnout reached 65.8% in the 2024 elections, virtually equal to the male turnout of 65.5%, underscoring women’s growing role in democratic processes.
Health Indicators: The Total Fertility Rate fell to 2.0 in 2023, while female life expectancy climbed to 71.3 years, indicating progress in reproductive health services and overall wellbeing.