New Delhi, March 26 -- India's government has signalled its intent to amend the Women's Reservation Act of 2023, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, to fast-track its 33% quota of seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies. The sooner it's done, the better. It would mark a major step in a long march towards the political and economic emancipation of women in the country.

Women constitute almost half the population, but various estimates suggest women contribute less than 20% to GDP-based on models that crunch data on labour force participation, earning gaps, etc, and only capture what's on the record.

Bridging the gender gap in employment could potentially give us a significantly larger economy. Research by the Inter...