The state capitals and metros may be the centers of business holding a lot of promise but the smaller cities are more women-friendly in India, according to the Avtar Viewport 2022: Top Cities for Women in India.
The report presents city inclusion scores of around 111 cities in India— the scores are a composite of industrial and social inclusion scores on different parameters. Listed in two categories, the top 25 cities in each have been categorized according to their population — one with those with a population of over a million and the other with cities with less than a million population.
The report makes some observations on how women-friendly the cities are. While the social inclusion score addresses ease of living, safety, women’s representation, and women’s empowerment, the industrial inclusion scores address career enablers, inclusive organizations, and inclusive industries.
The Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, which make up the less than a million category cities, have comparatively higher scores for averages as well as the for the sub-dimensions that are social inclusion and industrial inclusion. The same report also observes that only ten state capitals made it to both lists.
It is known that the capital cities receive a lot of attention economically and politically. Their marked absence from the list demands deeper thinking. There is an urgent need to address the barriers to making these cities women-friendly.
