Context:
Recently, the Gender Inequality Index (GII), 2022 has been released by UNDP in their Human Development Report 2023-24. In GII, India stands at rank 108th out of 193 countries, with a score of 0.437.
Relevance:
GS I: Role of Women
Dimensions of the Article:
- Gender Inequality Index (GII)
- Major Issues Related to Gender Inequality in India
Gender Inequality Index (GII):
- GII is a composite metric that measures gender inequality across three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment, and the labour market.
- It assesses the disparity in human development potential resulting from gender inequality in these areas.
- GII values range from 0 (indicating equality) to 1 (representing extreme inequality).
- A lower GII value suggests less inequality between women and men, while a higher value indicates greater disparity.
Dimensions and Indicators:
- Reproductive Health: Includes maternal mortality ratio and adolescent birth rates.
- Empowerment: Involves indicators such as the share of parliamentary seats held by each sex and the proportion of the population with at least some secondary education.
- Labour Market: Incorporates female and male labour force participation rates.
India’s Progress:
- In the Gender Inequality Index 2021, India was ranked 122nd out of 191 countries, with a score of 0.490.
- Notably, there has been a significant improvement in India’s ranking, with a jump of 14 ranks in GII 2022 compared to GII 2021.
- Over the past decade, India has consistently improved its position in the Gender Inequality Index, reflecting ongoing progress towards gender equality within the country.
Major Issues Related to Gender Inequality in India:
Violence Against Women and Girls:
- Women and girls in India frequently encounter various forms of violence, including domestic violence, sexual harassment, rape, dowry-related violence, and honour killings.
- These incidents significantly contribute to the perpetuation of gender inequality.
Education Disparities:
- Despite efforts to enhance education accessibility, disparities persist between boys and girls regarding enrollment, retention, and completion rates.
- Cultural norms, economic constraints, and safety concerns often impede girls’ access to education.
Unpaid Care Work:
- Women in India typically perform a substantial amount of unpaid care work, encompassing household chores, childcare, and eldercare.
- This work is often unacknowledged and undervalued, leading to economic dependency and time poverty among women.
Gender Wage Gap:
- Women in India generally earn less than men for comparable work, reflecting a significant gender wage gap prevalent across various sectors and employment levels.
- According to the World Inequality Report 2022, men earn 82% of the labour income in India, while women earn only 18%.
Child Marriage:
- Child marriage disproportionately affects girls, depriving them of educational and economic opportunities and exposing them to health risks.
- Despite a reduction in prevalence, as per NFHS-5, some states like Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tripura, and West Bengal still exhibit higher rates of child marriage than the national average.
- India harbors a significant proportion of the world’s child brides, with one in three of them residing in the country, according to UNESCO.
-Source: Times of India
