India Marks a Relative Decline in Gender Parity, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• India ranks 131 out of 148 countries in the Global Gender Gap Report 2025, slipping two ranks from last year (129/146).
• India’s overall gender parity score stands at 64.1%, compared to the global average of 68.8%.
• India improved in economic participation and opportunity, with estimated earned income parity rising from 28.6% to 29.9%.
• Educational attainment parity rose to 97.1%, driven by improvements in female literacy and tertiary education enrolment.
• Political empowerment declined, with female parliamentary representation falling from 14.7% to 13.8%.
• Health and survival parity saw gains due to improvements in sex ratio at birth and life expectancy.
• Bangladesh ranked highest in South Asia at 24th globally, while Pakistan ranked lowest at 148.

Detailed Insights:

• The Global Gender Gap Index assesses parity in four key dimensions: economic participation, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.
• Economic parity improvements in India were driven by modest gains in earned income parity, although labour force participation remained stagnant at 45.9%.
• The drop in political empowerment continues for the second consecutive year, highlighting a persistent gender imbalance in decision-making roles.
• Improvements in education and health metrics indicate progress in social indicators but are offset by structural barriers in economic and political inclusion.
• South Asia as a region continues to perform poorly overall, with India ranking below Bhutan (119), Nepal (125), and Sri Lanka (130).
• Despite minor absolute gains, India’s relative decline suggests other countries are progressing faster in addressing gender disparities.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Gender Parity Score: A composite metric measuring the relative access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender.
• Global Gender Gap Index: An annual index published by the World Economic Forum evaluating gender equality across four domains.
• Political Empowerment Index: Measures representation of women in political decision-making roles such as parliament and ministerial positions.
• Economic Participation and Opportunity Index: Evaluates disparities in labour force participation, wage equality, and leadership roles.

Mains Mock Question:
Despite improvements in educational and health indicators, India continues to lag in economic and political empowerment of women. Discuss the structural barriers to gender equality and suggest policy measures to address them.