Global Gender Gap Report 2024: India Ranks 129th out of 146

Understanding the Global Gender Gap Index

The World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report, now in its 18th edition, serves as a comprehensive benchmark for countries on their progress towards gender equality in four key dimensions: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.

The index provides scores between 0 and 1 for each dimension and the overall index, where 1 represents full gender parity and 0 indicates complete imparity. As the longest-standing index of its kind since its inception in 2006, it not only tracks current gaps but also monitors progress over time, serving as a compass for stakeholders to set priorities relevant to their specific economic, political, and cultural contexts.

Regional Performance and Top-Ranking Countries

Europe leads the regional rankings with 75% of its gender gap closed, followed closely by Northern America (74.8%) and Latin America & Caribbean (74.2%). In contrast, the Middle East and North Africa region ranks last, having closed only 61.7% of its gender gap.

Global Gender Gap Index 2024 - Top 10 Countries

Iceland maintains its position as the world's most gender-equal society for the 15th consecutive year. Seven out of the top ten countries are from Europe, showcasing the region's commitment to gender parity. Spain and Ireland made notable improvements, climbing into the top 10 in 2024.

Key Findings of the 2024 Report

The 2024 report reveals that the global gender gap score stands at 68.5%, meaning that 31.5% of the gap remains unaddressed. Progress has been alarmingly slow, with only a 0.1 percentage point improvement from 2023. At the current rate, it is projected to take 134 years to achieve full gender parity globally, far beyond the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal target.

The most significant gender gaps persist in Political Empowerment (77.5% unaddressed) and Economic Participation & Opportunity (39.5% unaddressed). In the workforce, women's representation lags behind men's across nearly every industry, with women comprising only 42% of the overall workforce and a mere 31.7% in senior leadership roles.

The report also highlights critical gaps in technology and skills. Women remain underrepresented in STEM fields, making up only 28.2% of that workforce compared to 47.3% in non-STEM roles. Gender disparities are evident in crucial future skills such as AI, big data, and cybersecurity.

Challenges and the Way Forward

The report underscores the urgent need for addressing the disproportionate care burden on women. While women's workforce participation is recovering from the recent surge in caregiving responsibilities, it highlights the necessity for equitable care systems. Despite an increase in equitable care policies like paid parental leave, they remain inadequate in many countries.

The "leadership pipeline" shows a significant drop of 21.5 percentage points from entry-level to managerial level for women globally. This decline, coupled with the deterioration of women's hiring into leadership roles in 2023-24 due to worsening economic conditions, signals the need for targeted interventions.

To accelerate progress, the report emphasizes the importance of:

1. Implementing gender-responsive policies in economic and health systems.

2. Promoting women's participation in the workforce, particularly in high-growth sectors.

3. Advancing women's leadership and political participation.

4. Enhancing access to technology and digital skills for women and girls.

In conclusion, while the Global Gender Gap Report 2024 reveals persistent challenges, it also provides a roadmap for action. By understanding these gaps, policymakers, business leaders, and civil society can work together to implement targeted strategies, ensuring a more equitable future for all.