The “Women and Men in India 2024” report highlights progress in gender equality, with rising female school enrollment, workforce participation, bank ownership, DEMAT accounts, and entrepreneurship. Women’s voter turnout now exceeds men’s, and female-led startups have grown significantly, reflecting greater inclusion in education, economy, and decision-making.
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The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation releases the 26th edition of “Women and Men in India 2024.”
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released a report called “Women and Men in India 2024: Selected Indicators and Data.”
It provides important information about how women and men live in India, focusing on areas like education, health, jobs, money, and decision-making. The report uses real data collected from different parts of India to show how things are improving or where problems still exist.
Policymakers, researchers, and others use this report to make plans that help improve equality between men and women.
Girls are enrolling in schools at almost the same rate as boys. At primary and higher secondary levels, the numbers are very close to being equal. This means more girls are studying and getting an education.
The number of women working has improved. In 2017-18, only 49.8% of women aged 15 and above were working. But by 2023-24, this number increased to 60.1%.
Women own 39.2% of all bank accounts in India. They also hold 39.7% of the total money deposited in banks. In rural areas, women are even stronger—they make up 42.2% of account holders.
DEMAT accounts allow people to invest in the stock market. From 2021 to 2024, the number of DEMAT accounts grew four times—from 33.26 million to 143.02 million. While men still have more accounts, women are catching up. Female DEMAT accounts grew from 6.67 million in 2021 to 27.71 million in 2024.
More women are starting their own businesses. In sectors like manufacturing, trade, and services, the number of female-headed businesses has been increasing every year since 2021.
Since India’s first election in 1952, the number of voters has grown a lot—from 173.2 million to 978 million in 2024. Women are registering to vote in larger numbers. In fact, in 2024, more women voted than men—65.8% of women voted compared to 64.5% of men.
More women are becoming entrepreneurs. Startups with at least one woman leader grew from 1,943 in 2017 to 17,405 in 2024. This shows that women are taking charge and starting new businesses.
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q.Analyze the representation of women in Indian politics. Do reservations for women in local governance lead to meaningful empowerment? 150 words |
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