Perspective

As Kerala approaches 2031—the 75th anniversary of the formation of the State—Vision 2031 offers an opportunity to take stock of one of its most distinctive achievements: the sustained integration of gender equity into the development process. Organised by the Government of Kerala, this conference seeks to review, assess, and make suggestions regarding Kerala’s gender and development trajectory in a changing social and economic context.

Kerala has long stood out for outcomes that matter deeply to women’s lives: near-universal female literacy, favourable sex ratios, low maternal and infant mortality, and high female life expectancy. These achievements were not incidental; they emerged from decades of public action in education, health, food security, and social welfare, combined with vibrant social movements and local democratic institutions. Women’s participation in local self-government, particularly since the People’s Plan Campaign, has reshaped governance and brought gender concerns into everyday public decision-making.

At the same time, Kerala’s experience also reveals enduring and emerging challenges. These include issues of women’s labour force participation in ways that are compatible with their educational attainment and livelihood needs; unpaid care work continues to be unevenly distributed; and forms of social conservatism persist and pose serious concerns. Demographic ageing, migration, and technological change have further implications for the landscape of gender and development.

Vision 2031 aims to bring together scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and activists to reflect critically on Kerala’s experience. The conference will situate gender as a foundational dimension of development, and will explore pathways through which Kerala can deepen gender justice as it moves toward its next developmental milestone.