Bharat mein Mahila Netrutva: Chunautiyan, Avasar aur Bhavishya ki Disha Women’s Leadership in India: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Direction
Main Article Content
Abstract
The issue of women’s leadership in India holds immense significance from social, economic, and political perspectives. Today, women are making their mark in diverse fields, yet their participation in leadership positions remains limited. Factors such as deep-rooted social norms, gender discrimination, lack of education, and restricted access to economic resources continue to hinder women’s leadership.
At the same time, government initiatives, digital technologies, and rising awareness have created new opportunities for women to step into leadership roles. This paper examines the current state of women’s leadership in India, the key challenges they face, and the opportunities available to them. It also highlights how society and governance can work together to ensure more inclusive leadership. Further, it explores the role of policy-making, social attitudes, and education in strengthening and encouraging women’s leadership.
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
References
Rekha Sharma. Women in Ancient India. Aryan Books, Delhi, 2015.
Kavita Singh. Gender Representation in Indian Politics. Indian Journal of Social Studies, Vol. 12, Issue 3, 2021, pp. 45–59.
Anjali Verma. Challenges of Women’s Leadership in India. Rawat Publications, Jaipur, 2019.
United Nations Women. Women in Politics 2023. United Nations Publications, 2023.
Anil Kumar. “Gender Inequality in State Legislatures.” Indian Journal of Political Studies, Vol. 19, Issue 2, 2023, pp. 55–67.
Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. The Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023. New Delhi, 2023.
Catalyst. Women in Leadership in India: 2024 Snapshot. Catalyst, 2024.
McKinsey & Company. Women in the Workplace 2023: India Report. McKinsey, 2023.
Deloitte India. Gender Equality in Corporate India: Current Trends and Future Outlook. Deloitte Insights, 2023.
Startup India. Annual Report on Women-Led Startups in India. DPIIT, Government of India, 2024.
NITI Aayog. Women Entrepreneurship Platform: Impact Assessment Report. NITI Aayog, 2023.
FICCI FLO. Barriers and Enablers for Women Entrepreneurs in India. FICCI, 2022.
Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Annual Defence Report 2024. New Delhi, 2024.
Ritu Singh. “Women in Combat Roles: A New Era for the Indian Armed Forces.” Defence Journal of India, Vol. 18, No. 1, 2024, pp. 22–29.
Press Information Bureau. Policy Reforms for Women in the Armed Forces. Ministry of Defence, 2023.
District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Medak. Annual SHG Status Report 2015. Government of Telangana, 2015.
Telangana State Rural Livelihoods Mission. Progress Report 2024. Hyderabad, 2024.
NITI Aayog. Empowering Rural Women through SHGs. NITI Aayog Publications, 2023.
Official Website of the President of India. Biography: Smt. Droupadi Murmu. Rashtrapati Bhavan, 2023.
Ministry of Finance. Union Budget Speech Archives (2018–2025). Government of India, 2025.