• Context: The Global Gender Gap Index 2024, published by the World Economic Forum, India has slipped two places to the 129th position, while Iceland retained its top spot. Within South Asia, India ranked fifth after Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan, with Pakistan ranked last. Afghanistan, Malawi, Myanmar and Russia are not included in this year's figures.

Important Points

About Global Gender Gap Index

• It benchmarks countries on their progress towards gender parity in four Key dimensions with Submatrices.

1. 1. Economic Participation and Opportunity
   2. Educational Attainment
   3. Health and Survival
   4. Political Empowerment

• On each of the four sub-indices as well as on the overall index the GGG index provides scores between 0 and 1, where 1 shows full gender parity and 0 is complete imparity.
• It is the longest-standing index, which tracks progress towards closing these gaps over time since its inception in 2006.

Objectives:

• To serve as a compass to track progress on relative gaps between women and men on health, education, economy and politics.
• Through this annual yardstick, the stakeholders within each country are able to set priorities relevant in each specific economic, political and cultural context.

Highlights of Global Gender Gap Index 2024

• Despite improvements in secondary education and women's political sphere, India's overall progress toward achieving gender equality has been slow.
• The country has closed 64.1% of its gender gap, with slight declines noted in 'Educational Attainment' and 'Political Empowerment' indicators.
• India's economic participation and opportunity score has improved marginally.
• The Global Gender Gap Report 2024 underscores the need for sustained efforts to address remaining gender disparities in education and political representation.
• India ranks 65th globally in political empowerment of women, indicating progress in this area.
• India's economic equality is 39.8 percent.

Government initiatives to reduce Gender gap

• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: It ensures the protection, survival and education of the girl child.
• Mahila Shakti Kendra: Aims to empower rural women with opportunities for skill development and employment.
• Mahila Police Volunteers: It envisages engagement of Mahila Police Volunteers in States/UTs who act as a link between police and community and facilitates women in distress.
• Rashtriya Mahila Kosh: It is an apex micro-finance organization that provides micro-credit at concessional terms to poor women for various livelihood and income generating activities.
• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna: Under this scheme girls have been economically empowered by opening their bank accounts.
• Female Entrepreneurship: To promote female entrepreneurship, the Government has initiated Programmes like Stand-Up India and Mahila e-Haat (online marketing platform to support women entrepreneurs/ SHGs/NGOs), Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme (ESSDP).
• Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya: They have been opened in Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs).
• Political Reservation: Government has reserved 33% of the seats in Panchayati Raj Institutions for women.

Important Fact for exam

World Economic Forum

• Founder: Klaus Schwab
• Headquarters: Cologny, Switzerland
• President: Børge Brende
• Founded:  1971