India, March 7 -- In a popular version of a nursery rhyme, one with hundreds of millions of views on YouTube, the lyrics go: "The mommies on the bus go, 'shh shh shh'." while "the daddies on the bus go, 'I love you.'" Another teaches: "Mummy ki roti gol gol, papa ka paisa gol gol." Long before they enter school, children absorb powerful lessons about gender--who nurtures, who earns, and whose work counts.

Over the past decade, India has placed growing emphasis on women-led development, reflected in policies such as Mission Shakti, the government's umbrella programme for women's safety and empowerment. The budget allocation this year for programmes supporting women and girls has increased by approximately 12% over last year to Rs.5 lakh c...