IMPACT OF GENDER INEQUALITY, POVERTY AND

SOCIAL INCLUSION ON MENTAL WELL-BEING LEADING

TO THE EFFECTS ON DEVELOPMENT

Submitted through the Faculty of Psychology

To
School of Management & Liberal Studies
Northcap University

By
Tithi Das

Under the guidance of

Dr. Arvind Kakulte
Head of Department of Psychology
Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune
 DECLARATION
I, do hereby, declare that the manuscript entitled, “Impact of Gender inequality, Poverty and
Social Inclusion on Development,” which is submitted by me for the international conference
2023, is original and it has not been submitted previously to any University/Institution for
any other degree or diploma and is an original and unpublished work.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would with sheer earnest and sincerity like to express my gratitude and appreciation for
anyone who has been a part of this research study and contributed their efforts into the
successful completion of this paper. First and foremost, I would like to extend my gratitude to
my research guide, Dr. Arvind Kakulte, the guidance of whom has helped me complete this
research. I would also like to thank all the Faculty of Psychology, for their constant support
and guidance throughout the study. I owe them a debt of gratitude for their guidance,
insightful criticism, and supportive words, which have enabled me to successfully negotiate
the challenges of the research process and improve the study technique.
I would also like to take a moment to thank Abhyuday Sharma and Lakshay Sachdeva, my
friends and Dyuti Das, my sister who have been very supportive, invaluable, and always
ready to help me, without which the completion of this paper would not have been possible.
I would also like to thank the School of Management and Liberal Studies at The Northcap
University for giving me the opportunity to present my paper.
I would like to express my gratitude to all the participants of this study who took out time to
complete my survey and contribute generously to the study, which has yielded great results.
Without their willingness and sincerity, this study would not have been possible.
And lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to my family for their everlasting love,
understanding, and support. Your confidence in my skills and your support during trying
times have been my sources of power. I am grateful for all your help, advice, and support,
and I feel proud to have had the chance to collaborate with everyone.

-Tithi Das
 DESCRIPTION OF AUTHOR
The author of this research paper, Tithi Das is a third-year BA Psychology student from Navi
Mumbai, currently studying at Sir Parashurambhau College in Pune. With a multicultural
background, having spent six years in Kuwait and one year in Singapore, the author brings an
unique perspective to their research on gender inequality, poverty, and social inclusion. Their
academic journey in psychology has equipped them with the knowledge and skills necessary
to undertake this research project effectively which is written under the guidance of Dr.
Arvind Kakulte, the Head of the Psychology department at Sir Parashurambhau College,
Pune. Motivated by a desire to contribute to the field of psychology and promote social
justice, the author aims to investigate the impact of these variables on mental well-being and
development. Through this research paper, they seek to generate insights that can inform
policies and interventions aimed at reducing disparities, promoting social inclusion, and
enhancing mental well-being.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...........................................................................................................
ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION................................................................................................
1.1 Background........................................................................................................................
1.2 Relevance/Need of the study .............................................................................................
1.3 Concepts used in the study ................................................................................................
1.4 Review of Literature ..........................................................................................................
1.5 Objective of the Study .....................................................................................................
1.6 Hypotheses ......................................................................................................................
CHAPTER II METHOD OF STUDY......................................................................................
2.1 Plan and Design ...............................................................................................................
2.2 Participants and Sample ..................................................................................................
2.3 Measures Used ................................................................................................................
2.4 Procedure .........................................................................................................................
2.4.1 Data Collection ..........................................................................................................
2.4.2 Data Analysis .............................................................................................................
CHAPTER III RESULTS.........................................................................................................
3.1 Objective-Wise Data Analysis .........................................................................................
CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................
4.1 Limitations ......................................................................................................................
4.2 Recommendations ...........................................................................................................
CHAPTER V REFERENCES .................................................................................................
CHAPTER VI APPENDIX......................................................................................................
Annexure 1 - CFPB Financial Well-being scale....................................................................
Annexure 2 - Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.....................................
Annexure 3 - Ambivalent Sexism Inventory.........................................................................
Annexure 4 - Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale...............................................
Annexure 5 - Gross Domestic Product.................................................................................
 ABSTRACT
The research paper aims to understand and provide valuable insights into the relationship
between the Gender inequality, Poverty and Social inclusion (Independent variable) on
Mental Well-being (Dependent Variable). A sample size of (n=200) working class people will
be collected using Snowball Sampling fitting the inclusion criteria. The research design
adopted for this study is a cross-sectional approach. IBM SPSS will be used for Data and
Statistical analysis. The scales: CFPB Financial Well-being scale will be used to measure the
Financial Well-being/Poverty, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS)
will be used to evaluate Social Inclusion, Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) to measure
Gender Inequality and Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) to
evaluate Mental Well-being. The research hypothesizes that Poverty and Gender Inequality is
negatively correlated with mental well-being, suggesting higher levels of Poverty and Gender
Inequality will result in relatively low levels of mental well-being, while social inclusion is
positively correlated with mental well-being, indicating individuals who experience greater
social inclusion will have better mental well-being. The study will also address the effect of
variables with respect to the genders, with emphasis on Women’s Mental Well-being, also
suggesting that the growth to Mental Well-being will result in the overall growth of Gross
Domestic Product of India. It will largely help understand the influence on mental well-being
and highlight the differential effects experienced by individuals based on gender and
socioeconomic factors. It will contribute to policies and interventions promoting mental well-
being, reducing gender disparities, poverty and social exclusion.

Keywords: Social Inclusion, Gender Inequality, Poverty, Mental Well-being, Cross-Sectional

Design