Gender Inequality and Growth Dynamics in India: An ARDL Analysis.

This study examines the impact of gender disparity on economic growth. The study utilizes gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate as the dependent variable, with gender inequality index (GII) and gender parity index (GPI) as independent variables. GDP and GPI were obtained from the World Bank Development Indicators, while GII data were sourced from the World Bank Open Data, covering the period from 1991 to 2022. A time series analysis was carried out using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model to examine the short-run and long-run relationships between these variables. The analysis reveals the significant and negative impact of GII on economic growth in the long term, which suggests persistent gender inequality may severely hinder economic growth. Continuous gender inequality exacerbates income inequality and social stratification, contributing to a cycle of poverty that is difficult to break. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]