Economic freedom is very important for women’s empowerment. They must be partners in Economic Development. I have seen that women are very good at adopting new technology. We should link women and technology upgradation.”- Narendra Modi, Prime Minister, India.
This quote from our honourable Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, reflects the significance of women in the economic development of our country. Women have the potential to contribute enormously to economic growth and prosperity. As per the report of McKinsey Global Institute, it has been projected that by providing equal prospects to women, India could enhance its GDP by US$ 770 billion by 2025. Indian women working professionals have worked persistently, with their capacity, commitment and passion. Presently, there are 432 million working women population in India out of which 343 are working in the unorganised sector.
The current year’s theme of Women’s day is “Invest in women: Accelerate the growth.” Women are still facing various issues in society. As per a study, despite working professionals, they are indulging in household cores of an average of 2.5 hours, which men are not doing. Empowering Women with gender equity will take us to a more peaceful, advanced and sustainable world. However, women face numerous challenges, yet some are breaking old societal norms and stereotypes. The thriving start-up system has observed female founders turning their business journeys into successful companies. As a result, women-led start-ups have mounted to 18% in India in the last five years, Women in India’s Start-up Ecosystem Report (WISER).
Today’s women have already proved their efficiency in running businesses in a better way, So now we all should invest in women to accelerate our nation’s economic growth.”
Views expressed by Dr. Lokesh Arora, Professor and Research Head, IIMS, Pune
