Rehearsing the Future: When Gender Equality Becomes India's Reality

It's 6:30 AM, and the newspaper reports the successful launch of a mobile app specifically designed for self-help groups by a female coder from rural Jharkhand. Many women are elected panchayat leaders, actively shaping policy decisions. In the same year, India is practising 33% reservation for women in parliament. And in a bustling boardroom in Mumbai, the majority of the executives are women and not just for the sake of diversity optics, but the system has effectively made the space for their rise.

Illustration by The Geostrata

This isn't Utopia, but a day imagined in 2030. A glimpse of what 5 years later could look like if gender equality becomes a reality and the United Nations' SDG Goal 5 is realised. This article explores and examines the required policy changes to plug the gap. What must India do today to make this future possible? 

THE COST OF INEQUALITY

India has been ranked 131st out of 148 countries in the 2025 Global Gender Gap Index. Though India has improved marginally in economic participation, education and health, a significant lack of representation in political participation dragged down the rankings.

Also, women account for 41% of the workforce and just 24% of managerial roles(The Hindu). In 2018, McKinsey & Company reported a projected increase in India's GDP growth of $770 billion by 2025 simply by enhancing gender parity. However, the goal is missed, but the potential still exists, and it's high time when India should tap it.   

THE WOMENOMY: ENABLING EQUALITY AND FINANCIAL INCLUSION

Equality means more than simply hiring women. A space where women don't feel restricted to work at any odd hours. It also means creating ecosystems that don’t penalise them for caregiving or motherhood. In our envisioned 2030, companies offer gender-neutral parental leave, hybrid work options, and crèches as standard benefits.

But how is this equality possible? Firstly, public and private sector companies are required to publish pay gap reports.

The Code on Wages (2019) offers a framework but lacks teeth in enforcement. It is advisable to adopt stronger compliance mechanisms mirroring Iceland’s Equal Certification Law (2018), which mandate companies demonstrate pay equity or face penalties.

Further, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), around 50% of India’s women work in the informal sector, mostly without access to credit, insurance or banking. Despite the making of Jan Dhan accounts by the government, a lot of women have yet to access the benefits of it.

The government must actively work towards the financial inclusion of women in the informal economy with the help of an expanding digital framework that includes financial literacy programs, creating women-only digital microloan platforms with easier KYC norms and integrating mobile money with SHGs and Aanganwadi payment systems. 

Critically, women-led start-ups receive just 5% of venture capital in India (Inc42, 2023). The government can set up a “Gender Innovation Fund,” which would sponsor projects and research that aim to encourage mentorship networks and promote rural tech hubs led by women. Focus should be on tech that solves for mobility, finance, safety and care infrastructure. This must be central to India’s financial empowerment strategy. 

THE DOMESTIC SPHERE: SHARED RESPONSIBILITY, MUTUAL RESPECT

Today, Indian women spend nearly 5 hours a day on unpaid care work, whereas men contribute less than 2 hours (NSSO, 2020). In 2030, we envision caregiving as a shared responsibility. The paternal leave has become as common as maternal leave, and the household is no longer considered only a woman's domain.

To shift this norm, the Indian government can launch a “National MenCare India Campaign” inspired by the global MenCare initiative; this would promote shared caregiving through media, school curricula and community engagement.

Along with it, the amendment of the Maternity Benefit Act to include mandatory paternity leave is possibly another way to ensure gender-neutral caregiving. As economist Jayati Ghosh aptly notes, "The failure to value unpaid work skews economic policy and deepens inequality." The challenge is not just social but hampers the growth of the formal economy. 

WOMEN IN POLITICS: REPRESENTATION WITH TEETH

By 2030, the 33% reservation for women will not only be implemented but also internalised. Interestingly, they aren't being symbolic heads of their constituency but effectively shaping policies, voicing their opinions and countering with facts. We see more focus on public health, maternal care, safety in public transport, and investments in informal women workers.

In order to get here, the immediate implementation of the Reservation Bill is required. The election commission could take cues from France, where public funding for political parties is linked to gender balance among candidates. Additionally, there's a need to expand leadership training and campaign financing for women, especially from SC/ST and rural backgrounds.

Currently, India is ranked at 174th position in “Women Political Leaders 2025” (UN Women). The numbers reflect influence and true empowerment lies in agenda-setting power, which India lacks for women.

Also, there is a need for "gender-based budgeting" across sectors. It’s high time that the government should apply a gender lens to infrastructure, energy, tech and climate policy. For example, the government should evaluate transport projects on the basis of connectivity, well-lit bus stops and female-friendly services which ensure women feel safe even at midnight. 

SAFETY AND JUSTICE: A COLLECTIVE PROMISE

From workplaces to homes, she feels secure. In 2030, the laws act as a deterrent and fast-track courts ensure timely justice. Also, India has gotten the first female chief justice by then. At work, the sexual harassment policies are not just pinned on walls but actively enforced. Public transport is well-lit, monitored and accessible. At home, respect defines the relationship around her and not control. 

To make it possible, India could draw inspiration from Tunisia's comprehensive anti-violence law, which includes psychological help to survivors, legal aid, financial compensation and mandatory training for police in order to handle these issues with sensitivity and honesty.

India’s own One-Stop Crisis Centres offer a model that can be scaled with adequate funding and inter-agency coordination. The increased number of fast-track gender courts and dedicated women’s desks in every police station. Moreover, by 2030, we must look forward to a judiciary that reflects the society it serves. This means elevation of women judges, reforms in judicial appointments, and inclusion of gender-sensitivity training across legal institutions. 

CONCLUSION: A VISION WORTH BUILDING

Gender equality lifts everyone up. Men get the opportunity to express, to care, and to father without pre-conceived notions. Children grow up seeing fairness, not just hearing about it. The economy becomes more resilient. And democracy becomes more representative. 

It's said that if you can imagine it, you can make it a reality. This imagination, backed by policies, forms a vision and is indeed attainable by 2030.

No, not all problems will be solved, but we aim to build a system, momentum and solidarity strong enough that reversing progress becomes difficult. Equality Day shouldn’t just be about remembering the past. It should be about rehearsing the future. 

A more equal India is not just desirable, it’s possible. But only if we’re willing to ask the hard questions, push the bold policies, and, most importantly, believe that equality is not a zero-sum game because the real question isn’t whether India is ready for gender equality. It’s whether we’re ready for the India that equality could create.

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BY SHALU

TEAM GEOSTRATA

info@thegeostrata.com