Philanthropy, both domestic and international, and corporate social responsibility (CSR), are supporting gender equality in India. This study estimates funding towards gender equality from a sample of 183 philanthropic organisations, based on two observations. First, the introduction of the Companies Act of 2013, which mandated and regulated CSR, substantially increased resources for development projects in the country, including for gender equality. Second, India faces significant challenges on gender equality, and harmful practices curtailing women’s rights persist. These are highlighted by the SDG India Index (NITI Aayog, 2020) and the OECD Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI).
Taking stock
Domestic philanthropy and corporate social responsibility for gender equality in India