Bulbul Dhar James / Vijender Singh Beniwal
Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 aspires to - 'achieve gender equality and empower all women and Girls'. Further, according to UN, 'gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world'. However, ironically women inhabit only 20% of decision-making places in public and private realm. Worldwide their visibility is merely 1-5% at apex level positions in organisations. Alike, the percentage of women in the services is abysmally low. The study probes gender equity in All-India Services in general and the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in particular. The data for the study is gathered from 150 questionnaire, 27 in-depth interviews and various reports. The study reveals that women are underrepresented in the Indian Administrative Service. Women are merely 13.5 percent at the position of secretary to the government of India. The thesis argues unambiguously that women are confined mainly in the sectors that foster prevailing gender stereotypes of their innateness province of bear, rear and nurture. Finally, the study noticed explicitly occurrences of discrimination against women in IAS especially at apex.
