India has improved on bridging the gender divide with a 14 percent rise in ranks on the Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2022 over the previous year, according to the Human Development Report 2023-224 released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The Gender Inequality Index presents a composite measure of gender inequality using three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market. The reproductive health indicators are maternal mortality ratio and adolescent birth rate. The empowerment indicators are the percentage of parliamentary seats held by women and the percentage of the population with at least some secondary education by gender.
Further, the labour market indicator is participation in the labour force by gender. A low GII value indicates low inequality between women and men, and vice-versa.
In GII 2022, India ranked 108 out of 193 countries with a score of 0.437. The country stood 122nd out of 191 countries with a score of 0.490 in the 2021 tally.
Over the last 10 years, India’s rank in GII has improved consistently, indicating steady progress towards achieving gender equality.
Denmark topped the chart in the 2022 index, followed by Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
After a drop in its Human Development Index (HDI) value in 2021 and following a flat trend over the past few years, India’s HDI value has increased to 0.644 in 2022, reaching the 134th spot out of 193 countries and territories.
“India has shown remarkable progress in human development over the years. Since 1990, life expectancy at birth has risen by 9.1 years, expected years of schooling have increased by 4.6 years, and the mean years of schooling have grown by 3.8 years. India's per-capita gross national income (GNI) has grown approximately 287 percent. This highlights the country’s commitment over time to accelerate economic growth and improve the quality of life for its citizens.
"But there is room for improvement. With a renewed focus on women-led development, India can further unlock socio-economic progress, paving the way for a brighter and more equitable future for all,” said Caitlin Wiesen, resident representative for UNDP India.
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