Exploring gender disparity and economic growth in India: An ARDL approach

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between economic growth and gender disparity in India from 1991 to 2021. For gender disparity, the gender parity index (GPI) for gross primary and secondary school enrollment is used as a proxy. The results of the ARDL bound test reveal that there is a presence of long-run association among the variables. Also, the results highlight the positive association between gross enrollment ratio (GER) and economic growth. On the contrary, there is a negative impact on the female labor force and economic growth, which showcases the alarming situation for India as good education for females is not percolating towards female labor force participation, thereby negatively impacting economic growth. As gender disparity is a major obstacle in achieving high economic growth, the study suggests that it is imperative that both government and non-governmental organizations work collaboratively to produce an environment that fosters gender equality and empowers women across all sectors of Indian society. Policy makers should focus on societal education to identify and change behaviours that suppress women, utilize technology to promote women's empowerment, and collaborate with governmental and non-governmental organizations.