Women’s empowerment and economic progress: a longitudinal study of India and China

Recent progress towards gender equality highlights the growing global commitment to empowering women. However, there is no unified longitudinal index of women’s empowerment (WEI) in the Global South. This paper constructs the WEI for India and China from 1991 to 2024 and assesses its impact on economic growth. Some missing data points are interpolated and extrapolated, which may affect index reliability; however, the included variable represents the core dimensions widely adopted in research. The results yield two key insights: First, WEI reveals four distinct phases: a lower initial level, divergence with China advancing faster, India’s steady catch-up, and eventual convergence. Second, women’s empowerment enhances economic growth in both countries, with a higher effect in India. This paper presents the results and examines the impact of other macroeconomic factors on economic growth. The findings suggest that women’s empowerment is a powerful driver of long-term growth, underscoring the need for women-targeted policies.