Rural India as tipping point on gender
This article is authored by Chandrakant Kumbhani, chief operating officer, community development, Ambuja Foundation.
As many of us sit in the ivory towers of the ever-growing metropolitan cities of India, it's easy to believe that women have achieved unprecedented levels of freedom and agency — breaking glass ceilings and excelling in various spheres of life. But this perception masks a harsh reality: A large section of India’s population still resides in rural India, where women continue to grapple with the foundational struggles of the women's movement. Mobility is restricted, early marriages and violence persist, and their ability to ‘earn or decide’ for themselves, is suffocated by entrenched patriarchy.
For women and girls in rural areas, many factors compound their vulnerability. Poverty, gender inequality, and social exclusion intersect, limiting their opportunities. Landless women, widows, single women, disabled women, and economically disadvantaged girls suffer the most - facing systemic barriers that deny them their fundamental rights. These marginalised groups experience multiple layers of oppression that stifle their growth and autonomy. Clearly, the urban perception of freedom, is misguided.
These rural women, and the rural men who perpetuate these gender norms, migrate en masse to marginalised urban communities like Mumbai’s Basti, carrying with them the same gendered constraints that govern rural life. It is precisely here, that we find the critical tipping point necessary to advance gender equality across the country.
Here are four ways we can shift the needle on gender in rural India:
Put women in the driver’s seat in decision-making--More than 70% of rural India depends on farming and women form a major workforce engaged in agriculture. Despite this, their voice is not heard and they remain excluded from decision making for example, when it comes to use of inputs like seeds or fertilisers. Most decisions that affect women’s lives are still made by men, leading to exclusion from critical matters—especially regarding agriculture, water, healthcare, and local governance. For real empowerment, it is essential to ensure women’s full participation in decision-making at all levels. One way to push the envelope in this area, is to make women the beneficiaries of government schemes in rural households--pushing the woman to the fore to manage the installation of a rooftop rainwater harvesting system or micro irrigation and the funds directly into her account. Additional strategies include training women in agricultural practices, facilitating market linkages for input purchases, or fostering group farming.
Empower each woman to be a breadwinner--An estimated one in ten women live in extreme poverty, with rural women facing the most significant challenges. Women’s poverty is generational and to address this, we must invest in skill training, micro-entrepreneurship, and financial autonomy. Women in rural India have been managing livestock and agricultural responsibilities for generations, however, without the scientific knowledge needed to optimise these tasks, they remain trapped in outdated practices. By providing education on animal care, market linkages for selling milk and other by-products, and better farming practices, we can unlock their full earning potential. Additionally, the availability of skill training opportunities is also crucial. Providing women with 21st-century skills and the opportunity to break into non-traditional sectors like motor mechanics, mobile repair, and electrical--fields where women historically have not had access--opens doors and shifts the narrative on what women can and cannot do. These women are stepping into careers that were once closed off to them, and in doing so, they are creating new pathways for future generations of girls.
Make rural women and girls tech savvy--The digital gender gap in rural India is a critical barrier to accessing education, employment, and essential services. Young girls and unmarried women are not often provided with access to the digital phone as yet a further restriction on their mobility and social capital. By bridging this gap, we can unlock untapped potential that lies there. Targeted digital literacy programmes for rural women and girls with efforts for mindset change of the elders can open doors to educational opportunities, economic empowerment, and the ability to connect with the wider world, ensuring they aren’t left behind in the digital revolution. In doing so, women are selling products online, sourcing raw materials and marketing their goods.
Enable rural women as climate warriors--Rural women and girls are on the front line of the climate crisis. As primary caregivers and key players in both agriculture and water, they bear the brunt of climate impact. However, they are also driving solutions. Rural women are collectivising via the Self Help Groups (SHG) to provide environmentally friendly solutions in agriculture – developing bio-fertilisers and pest control products. They are often custodians of the traditional agricultural practices and local seeds and they think in a more sustainable way. They also think differently when it comes to water with many examples of women water volunteers to help communities better manage their scarce and precious resource. Additionally, through the promotion of kitchen gardening and allied livelihood options they can to offset the climatic losses in primary harvests. By prioritising women’s leadership in climate adaptation and resilience programmes, we can ensure that rural women are part of the solution and have the resources they need to combat the climate crisis.
As we approach the 2030 deadline for the SDGs, it’s clear that we are falling behind, particularly in areas tied to women’s empowerment. This year’s UN International Women’s Day urges us to take bold actions that unlock equal rights, power, and opportunities for all — especially the most marginalised. Nowhere is this more pertinent than in rural India.
By shifting the gender narrative in rural communities, we can effectively ignite a ripple effect – changing the paradigm in our cities also. The solutions exist, but they need rapid scale through collective action from NGOs, civil society, and government.
This article is authored by Chandrakant Kumbhani, chief operating officer, community development, Ambuja Foundation.