Assessing the Comparative Performance of India and Uttar Pradesh towards Gender Equality-SDG Goal 5

India continues to progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with specific states, such as Uttar Pradesh, moving from "Performer" to "Front-Runner" in the overall SDG rankings. However, sustainable development cannot be attained without assuring equity and participation, especially for women, who represent over half of the population. This study critically assesses the economic aspects of gender equality, focusing on pay discrepancies, labour force participation, land ownership, and financial inclusion, within the framework of SDG 5. It compares the National Indicator Framework (NIF) and the District Indicator Framework (DIF) to assess whether the current indicators adequately capture the realities of women’s economic empowerment at the state/district levels. The study utilises descriptive statistics and bivariate correlation analysis on data from the SDG India Index 2023–24 and the Uttar Pradesh SDG Index 2023–24, revealing that although Uttar Pradesh has enhanced its overall SDG performance, yet SDG 5 continues to rank among the lowest-scoring goals both nationally and sub-nationally, with the majority of districts remaining in the ‘Aspirant’ category. The analysis reveals significant regional disparities; notably, Eastern Uttar Pradesh performs relatively better on gender equality indicators than Bundelkhand. The study also identifies key interlinkages at the state level, SDG 5 shows a positive correlation with Goals 2 (Zero Hunger), 4 (Quality Education), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 9 (Industry and Infrastructure), 13 (Climate Action), and 16 (Peace, Justice and Institutions). However, at the district level, negative correlations are observed with Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 8, and 13, which indicates inconsistencies in policy implementation. These findings underscore the need to strengthen the DIF by integrating more robust gender-sensitive economic indicators. The findings of the research suggest that for sustainable progress, women must be actively participating in all areas, including the economy, society, and politics.