Gender Equality in the Discourse of Economic Development in South Asian Economies

Abstract

So far, the concept of gender equality has always been regarded as a social and political issue rather than an economic issue. The study titled “Gender Equality in the Discourse of Economic Development in South Asia” aims to position gender at the center of economic development analysis. Asian economies, particularly South Asia, face gender disparities in education, health, decision-making, political participation, and access to finance. Existing research focuses only on the social and cultural aspects of gender, neglecting factual, data-driven analysis. This current study explores gender equality in the discourse of economic development in South Asia using various key variables, such as gender wise sectoral distribution of employment, unemployment rate, female labour force participation rate, female employment in the informal sector, female labour income, educational attainment, political participation rate, access to finance, and the gender inequality index by through data driven analysis. The research is based on a mixed-methods approach and utilizes data from global databases such as the World Bank, UNDP, GGGI, and ILO. In addition to quantitative data, qualitative reports are also employed to assess trends and progress in gender and economic development. The research reveals that, at a global level, gender equality and economic development play a vital role in enhancing economic outcomes. However, in South Asia, one of the regions in Asia, extreme gender inequalities persist regarding education, health, decision-making participation, parliamentary representation, and access to finance. The study suggests that if South Asia aims to excel in economic development, gender must be integrated into all forms of economic decision-making and planning.