{"id":52441,"date":"2025-06-29T13:15:59","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T07:45:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=52441"},"modified":"2025-06-30T17:57:51","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T12:27:51","slug":"indias-gaps-in-gender-equality-metrics-reflected-in-global-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indias-gaps-in-gender-equality-metrics-reflected-in-global-rankings\/","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s Gaps in Gender Equality Metrics Reflected in Global Rankings"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>India\u2019s gaps in gender equality metrics Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has slipped to 131st out of 148 countries in the 2025 Global Gender Gap Index by the World Economic Forum.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While gaps in economic participation, education, and health have improved or remained stable, political empowerment has worsened. Despite more women voting, their representation in top political positions remains low.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The upcoming 33% reservation for women in legislatures from 2029 may improve this, but sustained efforts are needed to ensure long-term impact.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Reasons Behind the Fall in the Index<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s drop in the 2025 Global Gender Gap Index is primarily <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">due to a decline in political empowerment indicators<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The percentage of women in Parliament fell from 14.4% (78 MPs) in 2024 to 13.6% (74 MPs) in 2025.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, the share of women in ministerial roles declined from 6.45% to 5.56%, further impacting India\u2019s overall ranking.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Impact of Women\u2019s Reservation on Political Representation<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies, passed in 2023, will be implemented only after the next Census and delimitation, making 2029 the earliest possible rollout.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If implemented in 2029, the law would raise women\u2019s representation to at least 33%, significantly improving India\u2019s political empowerment metrics on global indices.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Current Representation Levels Remain Low<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Women in Lok Sabha have ranged from 3.4% (1977) to 14.4% (2019).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 18th Lok Sabha (2024) has 74 women members, constituting approximately <\/span><b>13.6% of the total members<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2023, women made up only 9% of MLAs across States.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chhattisgarh had the highest share (18%), while Himachal Pradesh had just one woman MLA and Mizoram had none.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Limited Timeframe, Uncertain Long-Term Gains<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reservation law is valid for only 15 years, meaning it will likely apply to just two general elections (2029 and 2034).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Concerns remain about the sustainability of progress beyond that period.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Gaps in Ministerial and Leadership Pipelines<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even with more women MPs, ministerial appointments may not rise proportionately. Despite decades of 33\u201350% reservation at local levels, there&#8217;s no structured pathway to elevate women from panchayats to higher politics.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>From Exclusion to Participation: A Historic Shift<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1952, 28 lakh women were excluded from voting rolls due to being listed only as someone\u2019s wife or mother. Since then, women\u2019s inclusion has drastically improved.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Gender Gap in Voting Narrows<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The voter gender gap has shrunk from 17 percentage points in 1962 to less than 2 points in 2014.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the last two general elections, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">women voters outnumbered men, partly due to male migration for work<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Women as a Key Votebank<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With growing turnout, political parties now actively court women voters, launching targeted welfare schemes like free bicycles for girls and monthly cash allowances for poor women.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rise in women voters is reshaping electoral strategies and policy priorities, making women a central force in India\u2019s democratic process.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Rising Voters, Stagnant Representation<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the <\/span><b>surge in women voters<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, this has <\/span><b>not led to a rise in women candidates<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> fielded by political parties.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Parties Avoid Giving Women Winnable Seats<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parties often cite \u201clack of winnability\u201d to deny women tickets in stronghold constituencies.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead, they field women in reserved SC\/ST seats to meet multiple quotas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts note that women voters don\u2019t vote solely for women. Unlike caste-based voting, women prefer performance and policies over identity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>The Need for Systemic Change<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since 1952, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">women candidates have had a higher average winning percentage than men<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The issue lies in low nomination rates, with women making up only 8\u20139% of candidates from major parties.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Structural barriers, internal party dynamics, and outdated assumptions continue to block capable women from entering the political arena in larger numbers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/where-does-india-lag-in-gender-metrics-explained\/article69749267.ece#:~:text=What%20is%20India&#039;s%20standing%20in,Gender%20Gap%20Index%20for%202025%3F&amp;text=The%20story%20so%20far%3AIndia,rank%20out%20of%20148%20countries.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TH |<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thewire.in\/politics\/indias-worsening-gender-gap-is-not-just-a-statistical-concern-its-a-structural-crisis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TW<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> | <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/prsindia.org\/parliamenttrack\/vital-stats\/profile-of-the-18th-lok-sabha\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PRS<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India\u2019s gaps in gender equality metrics are evident in the 2025 Global Gender Gap Index, where it ranks 131st globally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":52595,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[1157,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-52441","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-indias-gaps-in-gender-equality-metrics","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52441"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52441\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}