Rural women in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district are increasingly expressing their views at home and aspiring to better opportunities for the next generation, but significant gaps remain in financial decision-making, independent mobility, safety and digital participation, according to the Rural Women’s Agency and Inclusion Assessment 2026 by the Enlightened India Foundation (EIF).
The assessment, based on interviews with 402 women across 21 villages and 376 households, examined six dimensions - education and marriage, household agency, mobility and safety, digital inclusion, aspirations and generational change, and geographic and household conditions. The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews in the local language.
Education improving, but early marriage remains
The survey found that 79% of women reported having received ample educational opportunities while growing up. However, perceptions varied across generations, with 69% of women aged 26-35 reporting adequate educational opportunity compared with 90% among those aged 56 and above.
Marriage patterns show a substantial generational shift. Overall, 55% of respondents married at or before age 21, including 12% who married before 18. Among women aged 56 and above, 35% reported marrying before 18, compared with 8% among the 46-55 age group and 3% and 6% among the 36-45 and 26-35 groups respectively.
Strong voice at home, weak financial authority
Household agency presents a mixed picture. As many as 96% of women said they could express their views at home, while 95% reported being consulted on child-related decisions. However, only 73% said they had time for their personal needs.
Financial decision-making remains largely outside women's control. Men were identified as the primary financial decision-makers in 41% of households and elders in another 17%. Women were the primary decision-makers in only 13%, while 29% reported joint decision-making. This creates a 54-percentage-point gap between women's household voice and their participation in financial decisions.
Mobility and safety remain major constraints
Independent mobility is another major challenge. Fewer than half of respondents felt comfortable travelling alone to any of the destinations surveyed. Comfort was reported by 47% for the local market, 46% for the panchayat office, 45% for a health centre and only 31% for another village. Moreover, 87% said they felt unsafe travelling outdoors from early evening to morning, while 34% said safety concerns restricted their participation in community life.
Smartphone access does not translate into digital inclusion
Although 70% of respondents owned smartphones, 86% had never used UPI or any digital payment system. Only 20% of smartphone users reported using UPI independently. The assessment therefore identifies a 56-point gap between smartphone access and digital financial participation. Further, 21% said they would share OTP or bank details with a stranger, highlighting gaps in digital safety awareness.
Universal support for equal opportunities
The strongest positive finding was that all 402 women supported equal opportunities for girls and boys. Moreover, 77% wanted girls to have education, employment and marriage, indicating aspirations that go beyond many respondents' own experiences of restricted mobility and limited financial and digital participation.
The report also found that geography and household conditions influence women's outcomes differently. Women in households reporting male alcohol use showed lower levels of participation, mobility, personal time and financial involvement. The report cautions that these associations do not establish causation.
The assessment concludes that future interventions need to move beyond access towards meaningful participation - through financial inclusion, safer mobility, digital literacy, livelihood opportunities and credible pathways for women's aspirations. It also stresses differentiated approaches for communities based on geography and household circumstances.