Women’s Economic Empowerment Index

The Women’s Economic Empowerment Index measures gender equality in economic participation, highlighting women’s access to jobs, resources, and financial inclusion.

Table of Contents

Context: Uttar Pradesh launched India’s first Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Index to track and address gender gaps in economic participation through data-driven district-level insights.

Women’s Economic Empowerment Index by Uttar Pradesh

First district-level tool in India to track women’s participation. It covers five economic levers:

(1) Employment,
(2) Education & Skilling,
(3) Entrepreneurship,
(4) Livelihood & Mobility
(5) Safety & Inclusive Infrastructure.

Outcomes/Insights

Made inequities visible: Showed high female enrolment in skilling programmes but low representation in entrepreneurship and access to credit.
Catalytic reforms: In UP’s transport sector, gender data led to the redesign of recruitment and the provision of women’s restrooms in bus terminals.
Shifted focus from participation rates to structural barriers.

Way Forward

Replication & Scaling: States like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Telangana can adopt the WEE Index.
Integration into MIS: Gender breakdowns in departmental data (MSMEs, housing, transport, etc.).
Beyond Headcounts: Track retention, leadership, quality of jobs, and re-entry of women into the workforce.
True Gender Budgeting: Apply a gender lens to every rupee spent — in education, energy, infrastructure.
District-Wise Gender Action Plans: Convert index findings into budget allocations and programmatic reforms.