Why is News :
- India has ranked 131 out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2025, slipping two places from 2024.
India’s Performance in 2025 Report
- Rank: 131/148 (2024 rank was 129)
- Overall Score: 64.1%
Economic Participation:
- Score improved to 40.7%
- Estimated income parity rose to 29.9%
- Labour Force Participation: Held steady at 45.9%
Educational Attainment: Strong at 97.1%
Health and Survival: Marginal gains in sex ratio at birth and life expectancy
Political Empowerment:
- Women in Parliament fell from 14.7% → 13.8%
- Women Ministers dropped from 6.5% → 5.6%
Global Trends
- Top Global Performers: Iceland (#1), Finland, Norway, UK, New Zealand
South Asia Rankings:
- Bangladesh (24) is highest in the region
- Others: Bhutan (119), Nepal (125), Sri Lanka (130), Maldives (138), Pakistan (148)
Global Gender Parity Score: 68.8%
- Time to Full Parity (at current pace): 123 years
- Leadership Gap: Women = 41.2% of workforce, but only 28.8% in leadership roles
Global Gender Gap Index
- Published by: World Economic Forum (since 2006)
- Purpose: Benchmarks gender parity across countries.
- Scoring Scale: 0 to 1 (1 = full gender parity)
- Dimensions Covered:
- Economic Participation and Opportunity
- Educational Attainment
- Health and Survival
- Political Empowerment
World Economic Forum (WEF):
- Established: 1971 by Klaus Schwab in Geneva, Switzerland
- Type: International non-profit organization
- Purpose: Promotes public-private cooperation to address global challenges
- Famous for: Annual Davos Summit attended by world leaders and experts
- Major Reports:
- Global Competitiveness Report
- Global Risks Report
- Global Social Mobility Report
- Energy Transition Index
- Travel & Tourism Development Index
- Focus Areas: Inequality, climate change, innovation, economic recovery
- Funding: Primarily from partner corporations
Role: Platform for shaping global, regional,and industry agendas
UPSC Relevance :
GS2 – Governance & Social Justice:
Highlights gender disparity in India—essential for answering questions on women empowerment, SDG-5, and inclusive governance.
GS3 – Economic Development:
Links with labour force participation, income inequality, and human capital utilization.
Essay & Ethics:
Useful data point to illustrate structural inequalities and discuss equity vs. equality in public policy.
Prelims:
WEF + Global Gender Gap Index frequently appear in reports and indices questions.
Possible Mains Question
Q. The Global Gender Gap Report 2025 ranks India 131st out of 148 countries. What factors contribute to India’s low performance, and what policy measures are needed to bridge the gender gap, especially in political and economic participation? (15 marks)