One gap narrows, another widens

Girls in India have outperformed boys in school assessments and board examinations. Today, they are steadily taking over classrooms across schools and universities. Women account for nearly three-fourths of MPhil registrations, reflecting how more girls are enrolling in schools, staying longer and progressing to higher education. Yet somewhere between the classroom and workplace, this momentum fades. Women make up 48% of university graduates but only 31% of entry-level employees. At every stage of the professional ladder, their numbers decline further.

The issue is not capability, but cultural norms and social expectations that have failed to keep pace with the aspirations of professionally qualified women. Women may dominate home kitchens, yet only 10% of India's professional and executive chefs are women. They also shoulder a disproportionate burden of unpaid care and domestic work, spending 10x more time than men on unpaid caregiving and household work. Workplaces remain structured around assumptions designed largely with men in mind. If women continue to be primary caregivers, work systems and policies must reflect that reality.

Beyond the workplace, enablers such as personal safety, reliable infrastructure and quality support services are essential for women to sustain their careers and rise to leadership roles. Data from NSO's Women and Men in India 2025 report points to a generational shift. Although the overall literacy gender gap remains wide, it has narrowed considerably among those below 24 years. This progress reflects years of sustained policy attention, implementation, accountability and interventions such as providing toilets in schools. The focus must now extend beyond the classroom and into the world of work.