Relationship between propensity to social innovation and striving for gender equality: sample study based on the example of India

Abstract

Social innovation is the search for new and conclusive solutions to social problems aimed at improving the welfare of individuals and communities. Studies on social innovation and its implementation, especially with regard to the importance of gender equality and the impact of the gendered perspective on the implementation of such social innovations, are still scarce. Based on Gabriel Tarde’s social theory, our study shows the urgency of addressing pressing social problems. The research objective is to statistically assess the implementation of social innovation in India, specifically from a gendered perspective. 400 responses were collected in August and September 2021 through a structured survey questionnaire which used simple random sampling of probability sampling method. The responses came from the northern states of India (especially Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh). The data analysis was done by means of statistical tests (using the SPSS 25 program) after validating the concepts, and was based on the results of frequency and percentage distribution of responses, one-sample t-test, ANOVA and correlation-regression tests. The study concludes that gender plays an important role in the implementation of social innovation in India, and gender equality must be incorporated into every facet of social innovation to reach its full potential and benefit everyone.