Gender Gap Report, 2023

June 22, 2023

The Gender Gap Report 2023, released by the World Economic Forum (WEF), provides valuable insights into India’s progress in achieving gender parity.

India’s Rank and Progress

According to the Gender Gap Report 2023, India is ranked 127 out of 146 countries in terms of gender parity. Although this ranking may seem modest, it represents an improvement of eight places from the previous year. This positive change signifies the nation’s commitment to addressing gender disparities.

Closing the Gender Gap

India has made significant strides in closing the overall gender gap, with 64.3% of the gap successfully closed. However, in economic participation and opportunity, India’s rank stands at 36.7%, indicating the need for further improvements in empowering women in the workforce.

Leading the Gender Equality Index

Iceland, for the 14th consecutive year, has secured the top spot as the most gender-equal country globally. Notably, Iceland has successfully closed over 90% of its gender gap, demonstrating remarkable progress in gender equality.

Political Empowerment

India has achieved a 25.3% parity in political empowerment, with women representing 15.1% of parliamentarians. This marks the highest representation of women in parliament since the inaugural report in 2006, showcasing notable advancements in women’s participation in political decision-making.

Local Governance Representation

A commendable accomplishment is that 18 countries, including India, have achieved women’s representation of over 40% in local governance. This highlights the growing recognition of women’s roles and contributions in shaping local communities and governance systems.

Improvement in Sex Ratio at Birth

India’s sex ratio at birth has shown improvement, with a 1.9 percentage point increase. This development signifies progress after years of efforts to address the issue and promote gender equality from birth.

Gender Parity in Southern Asia

The Southern Asian region, including India, has achieved a gender parity of 63.4%, ranking it as the second-lowest region in terms of gender equality. Despite this, the region has witnessed a positive change of 1.1 percentage points since the previous edition, thanks to the progress made by populous countries such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.