According to the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Global Gender Gap Report 2024, India has closed 64.1% of its gender gap and secured the 129th rank among 146 countries. Despite a slight decline in ranking and score compared to the previous year, India’s performance in various subindices remains a focal point for improvement.
Key Highlights:
Overall Rankings:
- India’s Rank: 129th out of 146 countries with a score of 0.641.
- Top Countries: Iceland topped the index, followed by Finland and Norway in the 2nd and 3rd positions, respectively.
Context:
- Index Edition: The 2024 index is the 18th edition, benchmarking gender parity across 146 economies and providing an analytical basis for gender parity developments in two-thirds of the world’s economies.
- New Entrants: For the first time, Sudan and Uzbekistan are included in the index.
Top 5 Countries on the Global Gender Gap Index 2024:
- Iceland – Score: 0.935
- Finland – Score: 0.875
- Norway – Score: 0.875
- New Zealand – Score: 0.835
- Sweden – Score: 0.816
India’s Performance:
Subindex Analysis:
- Economic Participation and Opportunity: Ranked 142nd with a score of 0.398.
- Educational Attainment: Ranked 112th with a score of 0.964.
- Health and Survival: Ranked 142nd with a score of 0.951.
- Political Empowerment: Ranked 65th with a score of 0.251.
Detailed Insights:
- Educational Attainment: India scored 4% in ‘Educational Attainment,’ a decrease from a perfect score in 2023. Despite high enrollment rates in primary, secondary, and tertiary education, challenges remain in literacy rates and higher education.
- Political Empowerment: India performed well, securing the 65th rank globally. It ranks within the top 10 for the head-of-state indicator but still has low representation in ministerial positions and parliament.
- Health and Survival: India achieved a score of 95.1%, showing a slight improvement over 2023.
Regional and Global Analysis:
Global Performance:
- Health and Survival: 96% of the gap closed.
- Educational Attainment: 94.9% of the gap closed.
- Economic Participation: 60.5% of the gap closed.
- Political Empowerment: 22.5% of the gap closed.
Regional Performance:
- Europe: Leads with 75% of the gap closed.
- North America: 74.8% of the gap closed, ranking 2nd.
- Latin America and the Caribbean: 74.2% of the gap closed, ranking 3rd.
- Southern Asia: Ranks 7th among the regions with a gender parity score of 63.7%.
South Asia Rankings:
- Bangladesh: Regional Rank 1, Global Rank 99, Score 0.689
- Nepal: Regional Rank 2, Global Rank 117, Score 0.664
- Sri Lanka: Regional Rank 3, Global Rank 122, Score 0.653
- Bhutan: Regional Rank 4, Global Rank 124, Score 0.651
- India: Regional Rank 5, Global Rank 129, Score 0.641
- Maldives: Regional Rank 6, Global Rank 132, Score 0.633
- Pakistan: Regional Rank 7, Global Rank 145, Score 0.570
About the Global Gender Gap Index:
- Introduction: Launched by the WEF in 2006, the Global Gender Gap Index annually benchmarks gender parity across four key dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment.
- Scoring: The index scores on a 0-100 scale, representing the percentage of the gender gap closed. A score of 1 indicates full parity.
- Consistency: The index includes 101 countries consistently since its inception.
Conclusion:
India’s 129th rank in the Global Gender Gap Index 2024 highlights the need for continued efforts to address gender disparities, particularly in economic participation and political representation. Despite challenges, India’s progress in areas such as health and education provides a foundation for further improvements. The insights from this index can guide policymakers, stakeholders, and advocates in driving targeted initiatives to close the gender gap and promote equality.
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