“Women and Men in India 2024” Report

Current Context: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the 26th edition of its publication titled “Women and Men in India 2024: Selected Indicators and Data”.

About

• The report presents gender-disaggregated data across sectors like population, health, education, economic participation, financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and decision-making.

Key Highlights

• Education: Gender Parity Index (GPI) improved at primary and higher secondary levels, with near-equal enrolment at upper primary and elementary stages.
• Labour Force Participation: Female LFPR (15+ age) rose from 49.8% in 2017–18 to 1% in 2023–24.
• Financial Inclusion: Women held 2% of bank accounts and contributed 39.7% of deposits, with rural women making up 42.2% of account holders.
• Entrepreneurship: Female-headed proprietary establishments increased steadily, and Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade(DPIIT)-recognized startups with at least one woman director grew from 1,943 in 2017 to 17,405 in 2024.
• Political Participation: Female voter turnout rose to 67.2% in 2019 but dipped to 65.8% in 2024.
• Violence Against Women: 31.9% of married women aged 18–49 reported spousal violence, with highest rates in Karnataka (48.4%), Bihar (42.5%), and Manipur (41.6%).