According to a report by the Statistics Ministry titled ‘Women and Men in India 2022’, women own slightly over one-third of deposit accounts, but only one-fifth of the total deposit amount in scheduled commercial banks.
The report indicates that the total number of deposit accounts at the end of January 2023 was ₹225.5 crore, of which women own over ₹79 crore, or 35.23 per cent. Women own around ₹34 lakh crore of the total deposits of ₹170 lakh crore. The report suggests that the low share of women in total accounts could be due to disparities in wages related to regular salary, unpaid work and managerial positions.
Additionally, only one in four bank employees are women and less than a quarter of the female population holds managerial positions across organisations. Women also have a higher share of unpaid work compared to men.
The report also highlights that women make significant contributions to the economy through various roles, but remain disproportionately affected by poverty, discrimination and exploitation. They often end up in insecure, low-wage jobs, with limited access to economic assets, such as loans, and only a minority can secure senior positions. Women's lower job positions curtail their access to economic opportunities, and other social barriers limit their activities related to the shaping of economic and social policies.
Moreover, women perform the bulk of household work, which leaves them with little time to pursue economic opportunities. The report reveals that a large proportion of women in the working age group engage in unpaid services for household members for more than six hours a day. This limits their access to paid work.
Additionally, the female population spends 305 minutes in unpaid activities, 56 minutes in paid activities, and 1,079 minutes in other residual activities per day.