Gender Equality in India: A Step Backward in the Global Gender Gap Index 2023

The World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Gender Gap Index 2023 ranks 146 nations, with India falling two spots to 129th, highlighting the difficult situation for gender equality in the nation. Significant gender discrepancies persist in India, especially when it comes to economic involvement and political empowerment, notwithstanding certain improvements in certain areas.

Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment are the four main characteristics that the Global Gender Gap Index uses to evaluate nations. The fact that India's overall gender gap score is 64.3% means that a lot more work needs to be done before gender equality can be achieved.

In terms of economic involvement, India has barely reached parity at 36.7%, which shows that women still face obstacles in the workforce such a lack of leadership positions and chances. India likewise has a poor level of political empowerment, with a parity rate of only 25.3%. Although the ratio of female lawmakers is at its highest point since 2006 at 15.1%, there is still a lack of suitable representation of women in prominent political positions overall.

India has seen remarkable progress in educational achievement, with enrollment near parity across all levels of schooling. This is a cause for optimism. Better health and survival outcomes have been contributed to by a little improvement in the sex ratio at birth .

The gender gap has shrunk by 68.4 percent worldwide, according to the 2023 report, which is a little better than last year's figure. Full gender parity will not be achieved for another 131 years according to predictions, although progress is still quite gradual. Iceland is the only country to have closed its gender gap by more than 90%, according to 12 sources, and it continues to lead the rankings along with Finland, Sweden, and Norway.

China ranks 107th, Nepal 116th, Pakistan 142nd, and Bangladesh 59th, all of which are India's neighbours. Gender parity progress varies across the region, as shown by these rankings.

To guarantee substantial progress towards gender equality, efforts to reduce the gender gap in India should centre on improving women's access to economic opportunities, raising their political representation, and tackling health and survival inequities. 

India has one of the largest gender gap in LFPR while China has one of the smallest. If it remains this way, China will have higher employment than India for foreseeable future!
The chart via an excellent newly launched platform https://t.co/ydWSy5cf7d by @Rukmini & the team. pic.twitter.com/MEXbeU5F6L

— VidyaMahambare (@mahambare_vidya) April 5, 2024

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