Economic costs of gender inequality in health and the labor market: India's untapped potential

Abstract

The United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda–2030 gives member states a roadmap to achieve 17 developmental goals (1). The United Nations has generally stated that the SDGs can be achieved if women are given equal rights in all public and private domains and are empowered by equal work opportunities, equitable health care, and high-quality education. The United Nations SDG-5 was created expressly to achieve gender equality and highlighted eliminating all types of physical and domestic abuse, sexual exploitation, forced marriages, early marriages, trafficking, and female genital mutilation. Furthermore, the SDG suggested that women may be empowered through equal sharing of information and communication technology, allowing women to be more aware of their living rights and take better care of their health, education, and access to finance. Women should be allowed and encouraged to participate in economic and political decision-making, reproductive healthcare services, and economic resources that enable them to contribute to the country's economic progress.