Global Gender Gap Report underscore the urgent need - The time for decisive action

नारीशक्ति शक्तिशाली समाजस्य निर्माणं करोति

Women's are considered as a goddess Lakshmi and is worshipped yet no equal opportunities or treatment female enjoys. Even in such progressive era, data budds massive disappointment that enlightens the gender discrimination. India has closed 64.1% of its gender gap in 2024, the report noted, leaving policy-makers with a huge window of opportunity to do better. The “slight regression,” according to the report, is mainly due to “small declines” in the spheres of education and political empowerment.

Gender parity is another term for equal representation of women and men in a given area, for example, gender parity in organizational leadership or higher education. Equality between two opposite genders express the gender parity of nation. Working toward gender parity (equal representation) is a key part of achieving gender equality, and one of the twin strategies, alongside gender mainstreaming.The gender parity index measures the progress towards gender parity in participation and/or educational opportunities for females compared to males. It also reflects the level of strengthening the position of women in society. It is calculated by dividing the indicator value for females by the indicator value for males. The gender parity index = 1 indicates the parity/equality between females and males. A value of less than 1 generally indicates a disparity in favor of boys/men, while a value greater than 1 indicates disparity in favor of girls/women.

Gender Gap Report 2024: India fares worse than Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan; scores low in political parity indices :- Score dragged down from last assessment due to widening education, political disparity. 

Recently, union ministers are announced and only 2 women are there while previous term of government has only 10 council ministers which has been reduced to 7 this time. This disparity is unfortunate but not surprising, considering that the country has one of the largest gender gaps in the world, according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2024 released by the World Economic Forum. Although less representation of female at parliament yet among the four factors, that are responsible for gender parity, political empowerment parameters is ranking the best ie 65. 

The country’s ranks among 146 economies in the other three categories were:

Economic Participation and Opportunity 142

Health and Survival 142

Educational Attainment 112

Because of decline in educational attainment and political empowerment, India ranks 129 among the 146 countries, sliding two positions lowers that last year ranking. Slight improvement in economic participation and opportunity has been recorded.

The region that made remarkable headway this year was Latin America and the Caribbean. The world has closed 68.5 per cent of the gender gap, with Europe having the least disparity across parameters. 

Iceland is at the top in this ranking that offers equal opportunities despite the gender parity. What India should be learning from the Iceland and other Nordic countries to improve the women's participation and penalise the gender discrimination :- 

1. Women’s Equality Is Literally Protected by Law :- The Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights of Women and Men is the reason for gender equality and acts as a hallmark of Icelandic culture. 

2. Equal Pay For Equal Work’ Is Mandatory, Almost :- When Icelanders found out it would be another 122 years before they closed the gender pay gap at the current rate, that was unacceptable. Lawmakers took action, announcing on International Women’s Day that Iceland would require companies to prove they pay employees equal rates for equal work, or pay the fine. 

3. Companies’ Boards Must Include At Least 40% Women :- When Icelanders found out it would be another 122 years before they closed the gender pay gap at the current rate, that was unacceptable. Lawmakers took action, announcing on International Women’s Day that Iceland would require companies to prove they pay employees equal rates for equal work, or pay the fine.

4. Best Parental Leave Policy in the World :- Article 15 of the Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights of Women and Men states that no public company board or government council or committee may have less than 40% gender equality. The law also states that any company with more than 25 employees must have a gender equality program in place, which will review goals every three years. 

5. From Preschool to College, Kids Learn Gender Equality Matters :- The government covers parental leave for birth, adoption, and foster care for all employees in Iceland, even those who are self-employed paying 80% of earned salary to new parents. Parents split the time of leave equally to ensure children grow up with equal care from both parents, and workplaces are balanced. The policy is truly the gold standard of parental care. 

6. Paying For Sex Is Illegal. Stripclubs Are Illegal. Prostitutes Are Victims :- That means from early education through university, which is free, all sports, classes, and forms of schooling must include and practice gender equality. Iceland has no time for sexist books or assignments either. 

7. There Is a Magical ‘Ministry of Gender Equality’ :-

The country created agency to check and balance progress on advancing equality as part of a revisions to the Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights of Women and Men. The agency includes a three part council which includes the Equal Status Council, the Complaints Committee, and a new Centre for Gender Equality.