The struggle to achieve gender equality and bridge the gap between men and women is long and difficult. India has got another chance to do better for half of its population Global Gender Gap Index for 2022Released on Wednesday by the World Economic Forum. placing it in 135 out of 146 countries, But the new data – India’s ranking was 140 out of 156 countries in 2021 – is hardly a delight as India has fared worst in at least one parameter – ‘health and survival’ – in which it finished last. The Global Gender Gap Index benchmarks the current status and development of gender equality in four dimensions: economic participation and opportunity; educational attainment; Health and survival, and political empowerment. India ranks poorly among its neighbors and is behind Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan. Only Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan perform worse than India in this area. In 2022, coming on the back of a pandemic, war and economic crisis, the global gender gap has been closed to 68.1%, meaning it will take 132 years to reach full parity at the current rate of progress. Of all regions, South Asia will take the longest time to reach the target – 197 years – “due to the wide stagnation in gender equality scores in the region”.
Substantial numbers from the ground indicate that India, with a female population of about 66 crores, has stumbled on the path of gender equality. In the pandemic years, as incomes dwindled, women faced obstacles on every front, from food, health and education to the girl child, to jobs. The latest NFHS data (2019-2021) shows that 57% of women (aged 15-49) are anemic, up from 53% in 2015-16; Although 88.7% of married women participate in major household decisions, only 25.4% of women aged 15-49 who worked in the last 12 months (2019-2021) were paid cash. The number of women who have a bank account or a savings account, which they use themselves, has increased to 78.6%, helped by schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, but women’s participation in the labor force has decreased . According to data from the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), about 15% women were employed or looking for jobs in 2016-17; This metric fell to 9.2% in 2021-22. The best way to improve India’s poor ranking is to do it the right way by women. For that, it is imperative to increase the representation of women in leadership positions at all levels so that women have greater access to jobs and resources. It is up to the government to move beyond symbolism and help women overcome the staggering economic and social barriers.