Reports and Indices are always important for the exam. UPSC asks them in both prelims and mains. It also serves as good fodder for Essay.
Global Gender Gap Report is published by World Economic Forum. First Report published in 2006.
Global Gender Gap Index – What is it for ?
Measures the relative gender based gaps in four areas :-
- economic participation and opportunity (including salaries)
- education attainment
- political empowerment
- health and survival
India and the Index ?
- Index places India at 114 among 142 countries.
- Ranking slipped from 101 in 2013 to 114 in 2014.
- Lowest rank among BRICS.
- Only Bhutan and Pakistan rank below India among SAARC nations.
What does the report say about India?
- participation of women labour force is shrinking – fall could be due to greater enrollment of girls in educational institutions.
- poor performance in economic participation and opportunity , education attainment and health.
- highest difference between women and men on the average minutes spent per day on unpaid work.
- High rank ( 15th ) in Index of Political Empowerment.
Other major highlights of the report ?
- Iceland ranked 1st in the index – Nordic nations remain most gender equal societies.
- No country has closed its overall gender gap.
- We will have to wait for 81 years for gender parity at workplace.
A nation’s competitiveness in the long term depends significantly on how it educates and utilizes the skills of women. More substantive attention to women’s issues would go a long way in bridging this gap.
