India advancing in gender equality; social norms, safety issues remain barriers: UN Women officials
The Hindu
UN Women officials discuss India's progress in gender equality, highlighting investments, grassroots leadership, and remaining challenges for parity.
India's progress towards gender equality has accelerated in recent years, with increased investments and focus on women's leadership at the grassroots but social norms, limited workforce participation and gaps in safety measures hinder full gender parity, UN Women officials said.
In an interview, Daniel Seymour, UN Women's Director of Strategic Partnerships and Susan Jane Ferguson, Country Representative for UN Women in India, shared insights on the country's strides and the challenges that remain.
The conversation highlighted India's increased investments in women's empowerment and gender-responsive policies, yet stressed that deep-rooted social norms and limited financing continue to hamper full progress.
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"India's progress is significant, but closing the remaining gaps requires targeted efforts across both public and private sectors," Ms. Ferguson said.
India has seen substantial growth in recent years, especially in gender-responsive budgeting, which has increased to 6.8%, according to the Gender Budget Statement (GBS), Union Budget of India 2024-25.
"This increase in public investment is crucial to transforming women's lives, especially when directed toward specific needs of women and girls," Ms. Ferguson said, emphasising that continued expansion of this budget is essential to close remaining gaps in areas such as health, education, and economic opportunities.