Global Gender Gap Report 2023 – UPSC Highlights

Global Gender Gap Report 2023 has been released recently by the World Economic Forum (WEF). This is the 17th edition of the Global Gender Gap Report. India is ranked 127th out of 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap Report 2023. In comparison to the 2022 report, India’s overall score increased by eight spots and 1.4 percentage points in 2023.

Since 2006, countries have tracked their progress in reducing gender inequalities through the WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report, which is the longest-running index. The report provides a mechanism for tracking gender disparities in the fields of politics, economics, health, and education and aims to help leaders identify areas that require action.

In this article, we will look into the most recent Global Gender Gap Index Rankings 2023 and the key findings from the WEF Global Gender Gap Report.

What is the Global Gender Gap Index?

The Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) is an approach used to measure gaps based on gender in global access to opportunities and resources. Since 2006, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has released the GGGI once a year. As the most recognized index, the GGGI monitors the degree to which gender-based disparities are gradually reducing. The GGGI compares gender inequalities across the country based on factors related to health, education, politics, and the economy. It assesses gender parity in four domains in 146 countries:

• Economic participation and opportunity
• Educational attainment
• Health and survival
• Political empowerment

Objectives of the Global Gender Gap Index

The Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) aims to measure and assess the magnitude of gender disparities in various countries around the world. The specific objectives of the Global Gender Gap Index include-

Assessment of Gender Equality Progress

The primary objective of the GGGI is to assess the progress made toward achieving gender equality in various aspects of life, including economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment, and health and survival.

Identifying Gender Gaps

The GGGI aims to identify areas with major gender gaps by measuring gender discrepancies. These differences could be related to resources, opportunities, rights, or representation in various aspects of society.

Informing Policy Making

The index is a useful tool for understanding the status of gender equality in different countries, which is useful for policymakers, stakeholders, and advocacy groups. It provides factual data that can guide the creation and execution of laws and initiatives designed to reduce gender inequality.

Measuring Progress

Using the GGGI, the growth of gender equality over time in different countries and regions can be tracked.

Encouraging Accountability

The GGGI pushes governments, institutions, and stakeholders to take decisive action in the direction of gender equality by openly ranking countries according to their performance in reducing the gender gap.

Raising Awareness

At the national, regional, and international levels, the GGGI’s release generates discussion and increases public knowledge of gender equality concerns. It increases awareness of the significance of gender equality for economic and social progress.

Key Highlights of the Global Gender Gap Report 2023

According to the report’s 2023 edition, India came in at position 127 overall out of 146 countries.

• The gender gap has been reduced in India by 64.3% overall.
• However, India has only achieved 36.7% parity in terms of economic opportunity and participation.
• Iceland has held the top spot for the most gender equality in the world for 14 years running. It is the only nation to have reduced the gender gap by over 90%.
• The percentage of women in senior jobs and technical occupations has decreased somewhat since the 2022 report, despite improvements in earnings and income in India.
• In India, women’s political empowerment has made significant progress. India now has 25.3% of the total number of lawmakers, or 15.1%.
• India achieved 44.4% female representation in local governance. Out of the 117 countries for which data is available since 2017, it is one of 18 with a representation of women in local governance of more than 40%.
• The report stated that after over ten years of slow progress, India had achieved parity with the 1.9 percentage point improvement in the sex ratio at birth.
• The report states that imbalanced sex ratios at birth account for the relatively low overall ranks on the Health and Survival sub-index for China, India, Vietnam, and Azerbaijan.
• The gender gap connected on a global scale is now at 68.4%, up 0.3% from the previous edition.
• Full gender parity has not yet been attained by any country, but the top nine—Iceland, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Germany, Nicaragua, Namibia, and Lithuania—have at least 80% of the difference closed.
• The gender gaps in health and survival (96%), educational attainment (95.2%), economic participation and opportunity (60.1%), and political empowerment (22.1%) have closed for the 146 countries included in the 2023 index.
• India’s neighbouring countries’ ranks:

1. Pakistan – 142
2. Sri Lanka – 115
3. Bangladesh – 59
4. China – 107
5. Bhutan – 103
6. Nepal – 116

India’s Performance in the Gender Gap Report 2023?

Below is the report of India’s performance in the Gender Gap Report 2023:

Rank

• India has improved its ranking greatly, moving up from 135th (in 2022) to 127th out of 146 countries in the report’s 2023 edition.
• Nepal was ranked 116, Sri Lanka was ranked 115, Bangladesh was ranked 59, China was ranked 107, Pakistan was ranked 142, and Bhutan was ranked 103.
• Since the last edition, the country has risen eight spots and 1.4 percentage points, indicating a partial comeback towards its 2020 parity goal.
• In India, the overall gender gap has been reduced by 64.3%.

Gender Parity in Education

The country’s educational system has improved as India achieved gender parity in enrollment at all levels of education.

Economic Participation and Opportunity

• With only 36.7% of women reaching gender parity in this area, India’s development in this area is still difficult to achieve.
• The number of women in senior positions and technical professions has somewhat decreased, despite an increase in wage and income parity.

Political Empowerment

• With a 25.3% parity in this area, India has achieved progress in political empowerment. The percentage of women in parliament is 15.1%, the highest since the first data was released in 2006.
• Eighteen countries, especially Bolivia (50.4%), India (44.4%), and France (42.3%), achieved a female participation rate in local governance exceeding 40%.
• Health and Survival: Following almost ten years of gradual improvement, the sex ratio at birth in India has improved by 1.9% points.
• However, because of imbalanced sex ratios, India, Vietnam, China, and Azerbaijan continue to have relatively low scores on the Health and Survival sub-index.

Initiatives Taken in India to Address the Gender Gap

The following initiatives are being taken in India to address the gender gap:

• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna: Through the opening of bank accounts, girls have gained economic empowerment.
• Mahila Shakti Kendra: Aim to provide rural women with employment and skill-development possibilities.
• Mahila Police Volunteers: It requires the recruitment of Mahila Police Volunteers in States and Union Territories to serve as an intermediary between the police and the community and help women who are in need.
• Rashtriya Mahila Kosh: Rashtriya Mahila Kosh is the primary microfinance agency that provides low-income women microcredit on favorable conditions for various kinds of livelihood and revenue-generating projects.
• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: It ensures a girl child’s safety, survival, and education.
• Female Entrepreneurship: The government has launched programs such as the Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme (ESSDP), Stand-Up India, and Mahila e-Haat (an online marketing platform to empower women entrepreneurs/SHGs/NGOs). There are now Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas in Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs).
• Political Reservation: In Panchayati Raj Institutions, the government has reserved 33% of the seats for women.

Key Highlights of the 2021 Global Gender Gap Report

• The 2021 report noted that the global gender gap had been closed by 68%, a slight deterioration from the previous year, indicating that gender parity would not be attained for another 135.6 years at the current pace of change.
• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was significant, exacerbating existing gender disparities, especially in economic participation and opportunity.
• Iceland continued to be the world’s most gender-equal country, a position it has held for several years, followed by other Nordic countries known for their strong commitment to gender equality.

Top 10 Countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2021

1. Iceland – Continues to hold the top spot, having closed 89.2% of its gender gap.
2. Finland – Second place, with 86.1% of its gender gap closed.
3. Norway – In third, having closed 84.9% of its gender gap.
4. New Zealand – Fourth, with a score indicating it has closed 84.4% of its gender gap.
5. Sweden – Fifth, having closed 82.3% of its gender gap.
6. Namibia – Sixth, a leading country in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 81.6% of its gender gap closed.
7. Rwanda – Seventh, also notable for its high ranking from Sub-Saharan Africa, with 80.5% of its gender gap closed.
8. Lithuania – Eighth, the highest-ranking country from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with 80.4% of its gender gap closed.
9. Ireland – Ninth, with 79.8% of its gender gap closed.
10. Switzerland – Tenth, closing 79.8% of its gender gap.

Why Global Gender Gap Report is in the News?

The World Economic Forum (WEF) releases its Global Gender Gap Report annually, ranking countries based on their progress towards gender parity across four key areas: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. When a new report is released, it often generates news coverage due to its findings and rankings.

Conclusion – Global Gender Gap Report 2023

The Global Gender Gap Report 2023 provides important findings into the ongoing effort for gender equality. Although there has been progress, the report highlights continuing differences in several dimensions. Governments, organizations, and individuals must move quickly to redress these disparities at every stage. A more equitable future for all can be achieved by making gender equality a top priority in policy and encouraging inclusive environments.

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FAQs on Global Gender Gap Report 2023

What is the rank of India in Global Gender Gap Index 2023?

India has improved its ranking significantly, moving up from 135th (in 2022) to 127th out of 146 countries in the report’s 2023 edition.

Which edition was released in 2023 of gender gap report?

The Global Gender Gap Index, which measures gender parity in 146 countries and serves as a foundation for detailed cross-country analysis, is in its 17th edition, which was released in 2023.

What is the global gender gap report for Pakistan in 2023?

Pakistan was ranked 142 out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2023, with a gender parity of 57.5 percent, the highest since 2006.

Which country is first in the gender equality index 2023?

With a parity score of 90.1%, Iceland appears to be the top performer, beating Norway by 13.6 percentage points and scoring 69 percentage points higher than the median global score of 21.1%.

Who publishes global gender gap index?

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has been publishing the Global Gender Gap Report every year since 2006. It assesses gender parity in 146 nations in four domains: political empowerment, health and survival, educational attainment, and economic involvement.

Which country has the lowest gender pay gap 2023?

The global gender gap index benchmarks national gender gaps on economic, political, education, and health-based criteria. In 2023, the country offering most gender equal conditions was Iceland with a score of 0.91

Which country has the smallest gender pay gap?

The top four countries each year have been Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, mostly due to established health and education equality as well as the high percentage of women in the workforce who are well-represented in high-skilled occupations.