<p>India’s five-rank improvement in the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index for 2022, compared to last year, is poor consolation because India still ranks 135th among 146 countries on gender parity. It is in the company of countries like Saudi Arabia where women’s social and economic status is at the bottom, and is ahead of only countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan. Most other Asian countries are far ahead of India, with neighbours Bangladesh and Nepal ranking 71 and 96 respectively. According to the report, it will now take 132 years for the world to reach gender parity, and for South Asia, it will take about 200 years. The Covid-19 pandemic did a lot of damage to gender parity, as it was women who were the most affected in every respect, including health, education, jobs, and economic opportunities. But their status was bad even before that. </p>.<p>The index takes into account four sub-indices — economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. India ranks 143rd in economic participation. This was to be expected as female labour force participation in the country is a poor 20.6 per cent. The pandemic impact on women’s jobs and income was more in India than elsewhere, and during the recovery men have benefitted more than them. Female employment in India has declined to 9 per cent this year. In the case of educational attainments based on literacy and enrolment rates at all levels, India ranks 107 out of 146. It ranks last on the health and survival index, which is based on sex ratio at birth and life expectancy. The performance on political empowerment, which is measured by the percentage of women holding ministerial and other positions of power, is not bad, but it is far behind Bangladesh. It should be noted that even in this respect, the country’s standing declined from last year. </p>.<p>The reasons for the dismally low ranking of the country year after year in all indices and indictors of women’s position are clear. Though there are claims about the high status that women have enjoyed in Indian society, the reality is that they have always been oppressed and have suffered from patriarchal prejudices, practices and policies. In every area of life, including access to food, health, education and jobs and livelihood, they were neglected and discriminated against. Only very few women have been able to claim their rights and make use of the opportunities that should be theirs. The vast majority of them, especially in villages, still live unequal lives and are victims of gross unjustness and oppression. A woman as the President or Prime Minister of the country will make little difference to that situation, unless societal attitudes as a whole change.</p>
<p>India’s five-rank improvement in the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index for 2022, compared to last year, is poor consolation because India still ranks 135th among 146 countries on gender parity. It is in the company of countries like Saudi Arabia where women’s social and economic status is at the bottom, and is ahead of only countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan. Most other Asian countries are far ahead of India, with neighbours Bangladesh and Nepal ranking 71 and 96 respectively. According to the report, it will now take 132 years for the world to reach gender parity, and for South Asia, it will take about 200 years. The Covid-19 pandemic did a lot of damage to gender parity, as it was women who were the most affected in every respect, including health, education, jobs, and economic opportunities. But their status was bad even before that. </p>.<p>The index takes into account four sub-indices — economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. India ranks 143rd in economic participation. This was to be expected as female labour force participation in the country is a poor 20.6 per cent. The pandemic impact on women’s jobs and income was more in India than elsewhere, and during the recovery men have benefitted more than them. Female employment in India has declined to 9 per cent this year. In the case of educational attainments based on literacy and enrolment rates at all levels, India ranks 107 out of 146. It ranks last on the health and survival index, which is based on sex ratio at birth and life expectancy. The performance on political empowerment, which is measured by the percentage of women holding ministerial and other positions of power, is not bad, but it is far behind Bangladesh. It should be noted that even in this respect, the country’s standing declined from last year. </p>.<p>The reasons for the dismally low ranking of the country year after year in all indices and indictors of women’s position are clear. Though there are claims about the high status that women have enjoyed in Indian society, the reality is that they have always been oppressed and have suffered from patriarchal prejudices, practices and policies. In every area of life, including access to food, health, education and jobs and livelihood, they were neglected and discriminated against. Only very few women have been able to claim their rights and make use of the opportunities that should be theirs. The vast majority of them, especially in villages, still live unequal lives and are victims of gross unjustness and oppression. A woman as the President or Prime Minister of the country will make little difference to that situation, unless societal attitudes as a whole change.</p>
