India is ranked 129th out of 146 countries in the 2024 Global Gender Gap Index. This is the same spot it has held in the bottom 20 for the past few years. This shows that fixing the gender gap has been hard for a long time in many areas, even though there has been some progress in some areas. Iceland retained its top position in the rankings list.
About the Global Gender Gap Index
The Global Gender Gap Index, launched in 2006, examines gender equality in economic participation and opportunity, education, health and survival, and political empowerment. The index ratings emphasize gender inequality rather than women’s performance, ranging from 0 (no parity) to 1 (complete parity).
Analysis of India’s Sub-Indices Performance
- Economic participation: India’s 39.8% score ranks 142nd, indicating a persistent gender gap in the working and managerial ranks, despite a little increase from previous years.
- Educational Attainment: India ranks 112th in education with a 96.4% gender gap closed. This shows educational equality is better but remains below global levels.
- Health and Survival: India ranks 142nd with 0.951, suggesting significant gender health disparities.
- Political Empowerment: India ranks 65th in political inclusion, bridging the gender gap with 25.1%.
Regional Comparison
In South Asia, India ranks fifth out of seven countries, while Bangladesh leads globally at 99th. India is generally underperforming on gender equity, especially compared to its neighbors. Discrimination based on gender costs the world’s economy a lot—up to $12 trillion a year. Improving equality between men and women could greatly increase GDP growth rates. This shows how important it is to include equality between men and women in economic policymaking.
