Introduction

Gender justice in India remains a pressing concern, despite notable progress in many social and economic indicators. NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index (2023-24) highlights India’s struggle with SDG 5 (Gender Equality and Women Empowerment), where it continues to remain an “aspirant” state. Reinforcing this reality, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 ranks India 131 out of 148 countries, behind smaller South Asian nations like Bangladesh and Nepal.

Persistent issues—sex ratio at birth, wage disparities, spousal violence, women’s low workforce participation, and limited political representation—underscore the urgency of the problem. However, the traditional north-south divide in gender development no longer presents a uniform picture. While southern states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu maintain historic advantages, several northern states like Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Uttarakhand are showing encouraging progress.

Education: Beyond Regional Stereotypes

• South India’s advantage: Kerala maintains the highest female literacy rate at 95.2%, followed by Tamil Nadu at 80.1%.

• Northern laggards: Bihar (63.8%) and Rajasthan (65.3%) remain at the bottom.

• Emerging progress in the North: Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have achieved over 80% female literacy, comparable to the southern states. Jharkhand has also seen improvements through scholarships and school enrollment drives.

This demonstrates that smaller northern states, with focused policies, can deliver outcomes on par with the South.

Employment: Numbers and Quality of Work

While female labour force participation (FLFP) remains low across India, regional variations are striking:

• High performers: Himachal Pradesh (56.2%), Chhattisgarh (46.1%), Madhya Pradesh (39.4%).

• Southern states: Tamil Nadu (35.2%) and Karnataka (30.5%) continue to perform better than the national average.

• New challenges: Andhra Pradesh, once strong in rural female employment, now shows declining participation due to rural job losses, childcare gaps, and inadequate skill training.

The Periodic Labour Force Survey (2023-24) also reports a rise in rural women’s self-employment—partly due to MNREGS expansion, reverse migration, and better recognition of unpaid agricultural work. Yet, the quality of jobs—safety, pay equity, and dignity—remains a serious concern.

Health: A Stark North-South Divide

Health outcomes reveal one of the sharpest gender gaps across regions:

• Southern success: Kerala (98% institutional births; MMR 19), Tamil Nadu (MMR 54).

• Northern struggles: Uttar Pradesh (MMR 167), Bihar (76.2% institutional births), Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan (MMR above 118).

These outcomes reflect not only medical deficiencies but also structural weaknesses in health systems—infrastructure, maternal care, and preventive measures. Southern states’ emphasis on universal health coverage, mobile clinics, palliative care, and community engagement provides a model for replication.

Political Representation: Uneven Progress

Women’s representation in state legislatures shows no clear regional dominance:

• Positive outliers: Chhattisgarh (21%), Uttar Pradesh (15%), West Bengal (14%).

• Southern states: Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh (13%), Kerala (12%).

• Laggards: Rajasthan (3%), Himachal Pradesh (1%), Jammu & Kashmir (2%).

Despite India’s history of strong women leaders, most assemblies remain below the 33% benchmark achieved in panchayati raj institutions. Implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill holds promise, but political parties’ reluctance to field women candidates in winnable constituencies remains a bottleneck.

Rethinking the North-South Divide

• The North is catching up: Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Uttarakhand have shown substantial gains in literacy, labour force participation, and governance.

• The South faces new challenges: urban gender gaps, declining rural employment, and political underrepresentation.

• Success depends less on geography and more on local governance, cultural shifts, and sustained commitment.

The divide is, therefore, less about geography and more about inclusiveness of development policies. States that prioritise women’s health, education, and workforce participation—regardless of region—are reaping benefits.

Conclusion

India’s gender justice journey is no longer a binary north-south story. Progress in the North and emerging challenges in the South highlight the complexity of the issue. Achieving gender equality requires region-specific interventions, stronger health systems, quality employment opportunities, and political reforms ensuring adequate representation.

Bridging the gender gap will not only fulfil India’s constitutional promise of equality but also unlock vast economic and social potential.

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