India slotted low on women empowerment, gender parity | India News – Times of India
India slotted low on women empowerment, gender parity IndiaTimes
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India’s Placement in Women Empowerment and Gender Parity Indices
Introduction
India, despite being classified in the medium human development group of countries according to the Human Development Index, is placed in the low empowerment group of countries in the first twin indices for women empowerment (WEI) and global gender parity (GGPI) released by UNWomen and UNDP.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. However, a staggering 3.1 billion women and girls, which is over 90% of the world’s female population, live in countries characterized by low or middle women’s empowerment and low or middle performance in achieving gender parity. None of the 114 countries analyzed have achieved full women’s empowerment or complete gender parity.
India’s Progress
While India performs well in financial inclusion and participation in local self-government, there are still significant gaps in skill building, women’s presence in the labor market, political participation, and representation in the private sector.
The Paths To Equal Report
The report “The Paths To Equal” assesses 114 countries on twin indices for women empowerment and gender parity in 2022. It highlights that higher human development does not automatically translate into women’s empowerment and gender equality. The UN bodies assert that these indices provide a more complete picture of countries’ progress towards women’s empowerment and gender equality.
Global Empowerment and Gender Gap
According to the report, less than 1% of women and girls live in a country with high women’s empowerment and a small gender gap. Globally, women achieve, on average, only 60% of their full potential as measured by the WEI, and women achieve 28% less than men across key human development dimensions as measured by the GGPI.
India’s Empowerment Deficit and Gender Gap
In India, the empowerment deficit according to the WEI is 48%, and the gender gap according to the GGPI is 44%. India’s WEI score is higher than the regional average of central and southern Asia, where the empowerment deficit is 50%. However, the gender gap in India at 44% is slightly higher than the central and southern Asia regional gender gap of 42%.
Empowerment Indicators in India
In certain empowerment indicators, women and girls in India fare well. For instance, 77.5% of women in their reproductive age have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods. Furthermore, India’s adolescent birth rate of 16.3 per 1,000 women aged 15-19 is much lower than the regional average of 27.8.
Additionally, India performs better than the regional average in financial inclusion, with 77.6% of women and girls aged 15 and over having an account at a financial institution or with a mobile money service provider.
India also leads the way in the participation of women in local government, with 44% of local government seats held by women. However, national political representation lags, with only 14.7% of parliamentary seats held by women and women’s presence in managerial positions at only 15.9%.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
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SDG 5: Gender Equality
- Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
- Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life
- Target 5.5.1: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments and local governments
- Target 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions
The article discusses the empowerment deficit and gender gap in India, highlighting the gaps in skill building, presence of women in the labor market, political participation, and representation in the private sector. These issues are directly related to SDG 5, which aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
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SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
The article mentions the gaps in women’s presence in the labor market, indicating a need for achieving full and productive employment for women as targeted in SDG 8.
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SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
The article highlights the empowerment deficit and gender gap in India, indicating the need to address inequalities based on gender as targeted in SDG 10.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | Target 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere | – |
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life | Indicator 5.5.1: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments and local governments |
| Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life | Indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions | |
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value | – |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status | – |
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Source: m.timesofindia.com
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