W20 and Women-Led Development: The Case of Women Markets

Abstract

Among various G20's (Group of 20) official engagement groups, the Women 20 (W20) was established during the Turkish presidency in 2015 to foster gender equality and women's economic empowerment. The concept of women-led development gradually gained momentum when it was introduced and accepted by the forum during India's presidency in 2023. Despite its broad agenda, the inclusion of gender perspectives has been inconsistent, often sidelining critical issues that affect women’s socio-economic empowerment. In connection with the theme of Women-Led Development in the Indian context, there are two objectives of this paper: first, to critically review the existing literature on women-led development and G20 initiatives or policies related to women, and secondly, to highlight the case of Women Markets as a game changer in shaping socio-economic development in Manipur, North-East India. This paper traces the historical emergence of the idea of women-led development. Then, it also explores the potential aspects of women's markets as transformative agents for socio-economic development. By methodological design, this paper employs a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data. Moreover, case studies of the Women's Market are discussed to illustrate the multifaceted contributions of women in socio-economic development. The findings emphasise the game-changing nature of women-led socio-economic development in Manipur by taking the Women's Market as a pioneering agent. The study highlights the successful model of this kind of unique market and its contributions to economic diversification, job creation, and poverty alleviation.