9 months ago
India Slips in Global Gender Gap Rankings, Citing Slow Progress and Economic Disparities
Imagine a big school competition where different countries are ranked on how fairly they treat boys and girls.
India used to do better, but this year it dropped to 131st place out of 148 countries.
Even though India is getting a little bit better at things like making sure girls go to school, it's not improving as fast as other countries.
It's especially behind in making sure women can get good jobs and have a say in government.
While many women are qualified for jobs, they face challenges entering the workforce or getting promotions.
They also earn less than men.
In government, fewer women are becoming leaders or politicians.
Concerns about safety in public places and workplaces also make it harder for women to seek opportunities.
The report also highlights that sometimes these rankings don't fully capture the work women do in homes or the informal economy, and don't always consider other important factors like caste.
India has fallen to 131st out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index 2025, despite a marginal increase in its gender parity score.
The decline is attributed to slower progress compared to other economies, particularly in women's economic participation and political representation.
Despite improvements in educational attainment, women face barriers entering the formal economy, with higher unemployment rates for female graduates and lower earnings than men.
Women's representation in political leadership, including Parliament and ministerial positions, has decreased.
Concerns regarding women's safety in public spaces and workplaces, coupled with the limitations of standardized global metrics, contribute to India's low ranking.
- Who
- India and the World Economic Forum (WEF)
- What
- India's ranking in the Global Gender Gap Index has declined, with specific concerns in economic participation, political representation, and women's safety.
- Where
- India, assessed in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report.
- When
- The Global Gender Gap Report 2025 was recently published, assessing data up to 2025. The decline is noted from previous years, with specific data points from 2019, 2024, and 2025.
- Why
- India's slip in rankings is attributed to slow progress compared to other economies, particularly in economic participation and political representation, alongside systemic barriers, societal expectations, and safety concerns for women.
Advocates for Gender Parity Initiatives
Critiques of Global Ranking Metrics
Pace of Progress and Representation
Advocates for Gender Parity Initiatives
India's slow progress and declining rank are due to systemic barriers preventing women's economic participation and political representation, despite improvements in education. There is a need to address the broken chain from education to employment and increase women's presence in leadership roles.
Critiques of Global Ranking Metrics
Global rankings use standardized indicators that may oversimplify context-specific realities in countries like India. Measuring economic participation through formal employment overlooks the significant contributions of women in the informal sector, care work, and home-based production.
Economic Participation and Merit
Advocates for Gender Parity Initiatives
Women earn significantly less than men and face societal barriers to entering and advancing in the formal economy. Unemployment among female graduates is higher, and while educated, women's labor force participation stagnates due to societal expectations and lack of opportunities.
Critiques of Global Ranking Metrics
The report's metrics might not fully capture women's economic contributions in the informal sector. Furthermore, the focus on gender disparities may lack an intersectional lens, ignoring how factors like caste and class exacerbate inequalities.
Safety and Infrastructure
Advocates for Gender Parity Initiatives
Women's safety in public spaces, transportation, and workplaces is a major concern, deterring economic participation. Rising crimes against women underscore the urgent need for better infrastructure and legal protections.
Critiques of Global Ranking Metrics
Standardized global reports might not adequately account for the nuances of cultural contexts and the specific challenges women face, such as the impact of marriage and household responsibilities leading to dropouts.
Key facts
- Global Gender Gap Ranking 2025
- 131st out of 148 countries
- India's Gender Parity Score
- 64.4% (improved from 64.1%)
- Global Average Gender Parity Score
- 68.8%
- South Asia Average Gender Parity Score
- 64.6%
- Rank in Economic Participation and Opportunity
- 144th
- Women's Earned Income vs. Men's
- Women earn nearly one-third less
- Women's Labor-Force Participation Rate
- 45.9% (stagnant)
- Percentage of Women in Parliament
- 13.8% (down from 14.7%)
- Percentage of Female Ministers
- 5.6% (down from 6.5%)
Quotes
Aditi Desai
a researcher at the Centre for New Economic Studies
“Over the years, India has made commendable strides in extending institutional incorporation for gender inclusion. However, these gains often remain superficial, failing to translate into meaningful agency or outcomes for most women. Many girls drop out after adolescence due to marriage, household responsibilities, or lack of safe transportation.”
financialexpress.com
“The irony of the situation happens to be that as women become more educated, the rate of their involvement in the labour force continues to stagnate, as women’s labour-force participation rates remain the same from last year (45.9%), replicating India’s highest participation score to date.”
financialexpress.com
Norman Loazya
Director of the Global Indicators Group, World Bank
“If they don’t feel safe in public transportation, the workplace or when leaving the house in general, they are going to be less willing to take up economic opportunities.”
financialexpress.com
“Only in 27 out of 190 economies do we see laws that help ensure that women feel safe in public transport.”
financialexpress.com
Sue Duke
LinkedIn’s Head of Global Public Policy
“What we’re seeing is not a pipeline problem, but a blockage at decision-making levels.”
financialexpress.com
