The Psychology of Gender Equality in India: A Systematic Review of Social Attitudes and Behavioural Barriers
Abstract
Background. India has made substantial progress in women’s education, health and legal rights, yet gender inequality in employment, mobility, decision-making and safety persists. Understanding this persistence requires attention to the psychology of gender equality: the attitudes people hold, the norms they perceive and the barriers that prevent egalitarian attitudes from becoming egalitarian behaviour.
Methods. This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, JSTOR and Google Scholar were searched for empirical studies published between 2000 and 2022 on gender attitudes, norms and behavioural barriers in India. National survey reports were also included. Studies were appraised for quality and synthesised thematically.
Results. The evidence converges on four themes. First, traditional attitudes coexist with formal support for equality. In a national survey of 29,999 adults, 80 percent said gender equality was very important, yet 80 percent also agreed that men should have more right to jobs when jobs are scarce. Second, women frequently internalise restrictive norms. In the fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 45 percent of women and 44 percent of men agreed that wife-beating was justified for at least one reason. Third, behavioural barriers at household, community and institutional levels prevent attitudes from translating into action. They include bargaining constraints, status norms, safety concerns, care burdens and limited suitable jobs. Fourth, interventions that change exposure, information and economic incentives can shift both attitudes and behaviour. These include school-based gender education, media exposure, women leaders, direct wage payments to women and job information.
Conclusions. Gender inequality in India is sustained less by a simple lack of support for equality than by an attitude–behaviour gap reinforced by social sanctions and structural constraints. Effective policy must address norms, perceptions and constraints together.
