From access to agency: Why India must get more ambitious with its goals for women’s empowerment

India’s development narrative increasingly places women at the centre of an economic transformation. As Parliament prepares to operationalize the Women’s Reservation Act ahead of the 2029 elections, the focus on women’s participation in public life is intensifying. Over the past decade, policy efforts have expanded women’s access to bank accounts, jobs and entrepreneurship.

On paper, the gains are significant. But a closer look reveals a more complicated story, one where inclusion has expanded but empowerment remains uneven. If India is serious about becoming a developed economy by 2047, it must move beyond counting how many women are included and start asking whether they actually have control over opportunities.

Consider financial inclusion. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), nearly 79% of women in India now have a bank account that they themselves use, up from 53% a few years earlier. Government data also show that women hold over 55% of Jan Dhan accounts, with a large share concentrated in rural areas.These are remarkable achievements.

Yet, access does not automatically translate into autonomy.Only about 54% of women report owning and using a mobile phone, and an even smaller proportion regularly access the internet via mobile devices. In practice, many women remain dependent on others to use financial services. A bank account without control is inclusion without empowerment.A similar pattern is visible in the labour market.

Female labour force participation has risen sharply in recent years. According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), it increased from around 23% in 2017-18 to over 41% in 2023-24. This reversal of a long-term decline is significant.