In decision-making roles worldwide, women are underrepresented. Gender equality and diversity have, nonetheless, beneficial implications for organizations, institutions, and the economy as a whole. This article provides evidence that it can create not only more equal treatment but also large efficacy improvements by lowering the glass ceiling, an invisible obstacle that prevents women from getting to higher levels. Policies to speed up the gender equality process and to enhance the empowerment of women are at the center of the debate in many countries throughout the world. Equality between men and women is an important objective for the development of women as well as women’s economic participation, which is a “part of the equality of growth and stability.” Women comprise more than half a population, with men equivalent talent, human capital, and production, so enhancing women’s participation in the labor force would benefit the global economy. The lack of women in executive roles runs counter to the exploitative talent strategy.
Gender equality and development are connected in developing countries: more gender equality creates the conditions to promote economic development and adds to economic growth, while more development leads to increased equality between men and women. Women being generally better educated than men in industrialized countries, offer a vital positive value for the economy and contribute significantly to economic growth. More women in the labor market mean significant GDP growth. Furthermore, when more women work a virtuous spiral can start: demand for services leads to an increase in spending which creates additional jobs, both for men and women.
Gender gaps in several fields have been narrowing in the last two decades, like education, health care, employment, women’s law, governance involvement, etc. But significant discrepancies continue in all areas in different countries notwithstanding the development. Notably, India is a signatory to all the above-mentioned international obligations. However, India has been a long way behind in establishing equality between men and women, notably in terms of women represented in policymaking, for example. Women’s representation has increased from 4.4% to 11.9% from First Lok Sabha (1952) and Sixteenth Lok Sabha (2014). The Rajya Sabha (Upper House), over the whole post-Independence era, is also seeing a similar pattern of low female participation. The representation of women in Rajya Sabha rose from 6.9% in 1952 to 11.4% in 2014. Again, the number of female MPs in the upper house is significantly lower in comparison with the global average of 22.9 percent and the Asian average of 16.3 percent. Given the proportion of women (49,5%) in the overall Indian population, representation in parliament is a lopsided statistic.