The idea that gender equality is not merely a moral imperative but a macroeconomic necessity has gained firm ground in global development discourse. Leading institutions such as the IMF, World Bank, and ILO now frame women’s economic participation as a structural driver of prosperity—one that enhances productivity, accelerates poverty reduction, and deepens the inclusivity and resilience of growth.

The logic is compelling: women comprise half the human capital in any economy, and systematically excluding them from markets or finance constitutes an enormous underutilisation of potential. Far from being a matter of social justice alone, gender inclusion has emerged as a strategic lever for economic transformation that amplifies returns by triggering positive externalities across generations and sectors.

This strategic orientation towards empowerment-led development reflects a shift from a welfarist to a capability-enhancing model of state intervention. Rather than positioning women as passive recipients of state largesse, the Modi government has emphasized interventions that build individual agency, expand access to markets and finance, and reduce structural barriers to participation. The sequencing, “empower first, deliver later", reverses the traditional logic of development administration by prioritising foundational enablers over downstream service delivery. In this schema, welfare is not an endpoint but a platform for self-sufficiency.

Flagship initiatives such as Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana, and Swachh Bharat Mission serve as instruments of what development theorists call “pre-distribution"—interventions that alter the initial conditions of economic participation rather than merely redistributing outcomes. Each scheme targets a constraint in the household........

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