Disclaimer: Views expressed are solely those of the author.
Even today “Independent women” is the word celebrated in social media, cinema and public discourse. Social media and cinema urge women to become financially independent. A woman may earn her own income, make her own choices about education and clothing, live alone and this is rightly applauded as progress. Having a voice, dignity and respect does not always equate to true empowerment.
Indian society has a deeply rooted close connection of family system, where Indian women are expected to play the role of nurtures and caretakers of the whole family. The concept of an egalitarian society and women’s empowerment at every stage fade from girlhood to the peak of woman’s career.Despite the professional success , many Indian women still carry the main burden of family responsibilities .
Throughout different life stages, marriage, motherhood, caregiving, and managing household expectations, women are always compelled to make compromises in their professional lives. While society applauds women for achieving independence, the harsh truth is that a woman’s career is often viewed as the backup plan, not the lifelong pursuit.
The Weight of Marriage Expectations
The societal pressure to marry remains one of the persistent barriers of women’s empowerment in India. No matter how educated and financially independent a womanbecomes, marriage is often portrayed as the ultimate milestone of success, a validation of her “completeness.”
From early childhood, many Indian girls are subtly raised with the idea that their goal is to become the “ideal wife” rather than the independent individual. Parents, even the most educated ones often reinforce this belief through everyday comments and expectations.
This conditioning shapes women’s self-perception and choices long before adulthood. A UNICEF report 2024 revealed that, one in four Indian women aged 20-24 were married before 18, reflecting how early pressure begin to control their lives. Even among the educated one, the unspoken rule persists: a woman’s career can wait; but marriage cannot.
A LinkedIn Deloitte survey revealed, 42%of Indian women are compelled to leave full- time jobs after the marriage, citing the in laws and spousal pressure.
Indira Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo; openly spoke about “guilt tax” women pay in balancing family and ambition. Despite her remarkable success, Nooyi often said that women can’t have it all, we can strive, but society must change to. Similarly, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw,founder of Biocon, broke traditional expectations by choosing entrepreneurship over marriage in her early years. She often recounts how her family faced criticism for “delayed marriage,” yet that choice paved her way to the most successful biotech company
Independent but Still Bound: The Unspoken Struggles of Indian Women
A report by Hero Vired highlighted the challenges faced by women in the workplace, including work- life balance, progress in leadership representation and barriers to upskillingopportunities.
A recent report titled “Women in Modern Workplaces in India” has shed light on what stops women's career growth
The report pointed out the hurdles encountered by the women re-entering the workforce after a career break. Key obstacles include, feeling disconnected, concerns about skill degradation, and difficulty in finding suitable job opportunities. Despite the desire to reintegrate and advance in their careers, these challenges often impede women from fully leveraging their potential in the workplace.
Marriage, maternity and relocation are key triggers, after marriage many women are expected to leave career, adjust schedules and choose easier jobs. Maternity breaks are not well supported, many women who take maternity breaks feel abandoned and given fewer opportunities.
The report by LinkedIn and The Quantum Hub highlights that while there has been an increase in women joining the workforce, leadership positions still lack gender parity. The representation of women across the workforce rose to 26.8% in 2024, but senior leadership roles only account for 18.3%, showing a decline from the previous year.
In the same report women hold 20.1 % of director- level roles, 17.4 % vice president roles and 15.3% of C-suite role.
Behind every successful woman, there is an untold story of constant pain, effort and choices made between love and ambition. Independence has given her the voice, but empowerment is when that voice is heard without judgement. True empowerment will come when society stop prejudicing the women
True empowerment isn’t about rising above the men; it’s about standing equal to men. For empowerment to be real, society must evolve, families must stop teaching women to adjust and start teaching sons. And society must stop applauding women for “doing it all” and instead start questioning why they have to do it.
Tanveer Kaur is a Journalist & sustainable lifestyle writer, with a focus on law and social issues.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are solely those of the author.