Zubaan: Dispatches from South Asia #1

This is the first edition of Zubaan. 'Zubaan' has its roots in Hindi and Urdu, and has often symbolised voice and agency. In this bi-weekly newsletter, I hope to explore gender gaps and progress in South Asia. Over time, I hope Zubaan acts a forum that gives voice to researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and journalists to discuss gender dynamics in the region.

Looking back at 2024: South Asia Grows, but Women Lag Behind

Despite rising education levels, female employment in many parts of South Asia has declined. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2024, women’s labor force participation in South Asia stands at 25.6%, compared to 74.7% for men. India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh rank low in economic gender parity, at 39.8%, 36%, and 31.1%, respectively.

The report highlights a potential for significant economic gains if gender parity is achieved. India’s GDP could grow by $770 billion, while Bangladesh might add $30 billion by 2025.

India: Women in the Economy

Prakriti Bakshi writes in the Secretariat on India’s persistent gender gap in the workforce:

“While the female labour force participation rate has increased from 23.3 per cent in 2017-18 to 37 per cent in 2022-23, there still remains a sizeable gap when compared to the male labour force participation rate at 75.8 per cent in 2017-18 to 78.5 per cent in 2022-23.”

She also highlights a growing rural-urban divide:

• Rural women’s participation increased sharply from 24.6% (2017-18) to 41.5% (2022-23).
• Urban women’s participation saw a modest rise from 20.4% to 25.4% over the same period.

State-level highlights

Women in Society

From recently Election Commission data (in the Hindu):

• The gender gap in voter turnout has widened in favor of women, increasing from 0.16 points in 2019 to 0.23 points in 2024.
• In 15 of the 28 major states and UTs, women voted at higher rates than men, while the reverse was true in others.
• Bihar recorded the largest gender difference in turnout. Kerala now has the second-highest electoral gender ratio in India, with women comprising 51.56% of voters (1,43,36,133). Puducherry leads with women at 53.03% of its electorate.

Gender and AI

• A recent report titled “GEN AI: The Diversity Game Changer We Can’t Ignore” by nasscom and 波士顿谘询公司 found significant disparities in India’s AI workforce:
• There are 46% more men than women in GenAI roles. At senior management levels, the gap widens to 63%.
• Related read: How closing South Asia’s digital gender divide could unleash billions (World Economic Forum):

o?? ?Women in South Asia are 31% less likely to use mobile internet, although the gap is shrinking.

o?? Research suggests?that connecting 600 million girls worldwide to the internet could boost global GDP by US$13–18 billion in just three years. Out of these girls, 170 million — nearly 1 in 4 — are from South Asia.

India’s Demographics

• Listen to Poonam Muttreja, a prominent advocate for women's health and reproductive rights on the podcast Grand Tamasha in the episode “Busting India’s Demographic Myths.” This podcast (my favourite!) is hosted by Milan Vaishnav Director and Senior Fellow, South Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

In this episode, Poonam challenges the notion that India is facing a population explosion, highlighting that the country's fertility rate has been declining and discusses conspiracy theories around India’s changing religious demographics.

Pakistan

Women in the Economy and Politics

Women in the Economy

Only 39% of women in Pakistan have a bank account, and just 20% own a smartphone (Gallup).

• ?Fiza Farhan suggests solutions in “Addressing gender gap in financial inclusion”:

o?? Expanding mobile network coverage and ensuring reliable internet access in rural areas to improve financial inclusion.

o?? Developing agent banking systems with trustworthy intermediaries to provide localized access to financial services.

o?? Designing financial literacy programs for women, tailored to their specific needs and delivered in culturally appropriate formats.

Women in Politics

• Dr. Mona Morgan-Collins discusses the reasons for the reduced turnout and the structural barriers to female participation in elections that persist in Pakistan and many other countries in “Looking back the election in Pakistan: What kept women voters away?”

Key findings:

In the 2024 election:

• 10 million fewer women voted compared to 2018. Women’s turnout lagged behind men’s by 9 percentage points.
• Regions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with low competitiveness had the largest turnout gaps.

?Also read: Where are the women voters? Insights from Pakistan’s 2024 elections. The author, Hina Shaikh notes:

• At least?3.5 million eligible women?still remain absent from Pakistan’s voter rolls.
• By registering these women as voters and potentially including their votes, electoral outcomes of more than a third of the national legislature could be impacted. An estimated 3.5 million women voters would translate into more than 13,000 voters on average in each of the 266 National Assembly constituencies. This number of votes exceeds the margin of victory in over 100 constituencies, implying that the missing women if registered as voters, can potentially alter the results in these seats.
• She suggests four measures to increase female turnout:

o?? Recognize the role men play as household gatekeepers and engage them as allies.

o?? Strengthen Compliance with Electoral Reforms: Collaborate with the Election Commission to implement and monitor reforms that nullify results in constituencies with significant gender gaps. Introduce incentives for political parties and families to promote women’s voting.

o?? Mandate and Enforce Gender Quotas: Require political parties to meet gender quotas in their nominations and ensure strict enforcement to increase women’s visibility and representation in electoral processes.

o?? Leverage Technology for Awareness: Use digital platforms—websites, social media, and mobile apps—to disseminate election-related information, provide reminders about voting deadlines, and create a supportive digital ecosystem for women voters.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Shrinking Female Workforce

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Quarterly Labour Force Survey 2023 reveals:

• Female workforce participation dropped from 24.86 million in 2022 to 24.51 million in 2023.
• Male workforce numbers rose to 46.47 million in 2023, up from 45.61 million.
• Shifts toward high-tech production in the garment sector have reduced opportunities for women.
• Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur (PRI): Women’s participation in industrial jobs outside the garment sector remains minimal.

And, finally, a fun (and informed) read by Dr. Alice Evans on “Romantic Love is an Under-Rated Driver of Gender Equality.”