Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part L (2025)

This paper examines the paradoxical coexistence of significant improvements in female literacy and educational enrolment in India with the persistence of deep-rooted gender disparities, particularly in economic participation and autonomy. Despite unprecedented gains—with female literacy rising from 53.67% (2001) to 70.3% (2022) and women’s gross enrolment in higher education now surpassing men’s—female labor force participation has stagnated and even declined, falling to 24.5% (PLFS, 2022-23). Through a qualitative, theoretical analysis synthesizing existing literature and secondary data, this study argues that educational advancement is a necessary but insufficient condition for empowerment. The paradox is explained by a complex web of mediating factors: the operation of education as symbolic capital enhancing marriageability rather than economic agency; a lack of “suitable” job opportunities in a segmented labor market; the overwhelming burden of unpaid care work; and the persistence of patriarchal social norms that trigger a backlash against women’s potential economic independence. The paper concludes that transforming educational gains into genuine empowerment requires moving beyond a focus on quantitative enrollment to a concerted effort aimed at dismantling structural barriers through integrated policy interventions in the economy, social infrastructure, and the education system itself.