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When it comes to man-woman equality the country figures at the bottom of the ladder, ranked 114th among 134 countries in a study conducted by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
An interesting— and intriguing puzzle—the study threw up is that while rapid development ushers in widespread change in social and economic status among all, women in India continue to attain a position of inequality with men.
The answer to this puzzle, which the WEF has left to every Indian’s imagination, is that a country cannot grow and be stable if half the population is marginalised.
Gender inequality could be an unintended consequence of development and economic growth.
But what is worse, sharing concern of Nobel laureate Amartya Sen over female foeticide and 25 million “missing women” in India, the WEF rankings confirm the gender gap on health and survival issues.
The India Gender Gap Review 2009 released at the India Economic Summit here ranked the country at 114th position, behind Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, showing thereby that women in these countries shared resources with men more equally than in India.
The Geneva-based international organisation has made strong remarks against the wide inequalities between the health facilities extended to males and females.
“We find that there are still persistent gaps in health and survival, a fact that contributes to India’s ‘missing’ women,” it said.
The study said close to 300 Indian women die every day during childbirth or of pregnancy-related causes, and the country has the worst sex ratios at birth in the world, ranking 131st on this variable.
*India ranked 114th among 134 countries in a study conducted by the World Economic Forum
*The country is ranked behind Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal
*There are still persistent gaps in health and survival, a fact that contributes to India’s ‘missing’ women