International ReportsImportant2025-07-03

Release of Global Gender Gap Report 2025

Why focus: WEF flagship index — tests exact India rank (131) and publishing agency in classic 'Match-the-Following' report formats.

In News

What Happened

On July 3, 2025, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released the 19th edition of the Global Gender Gap Report. The report assesses 148 countries on gender parity across four key dimensions: Economic Participation, Education, Health, and Political Empowerment. It found that the global gender gap is 68.8 percent closed, meaning full parity is still 123 years away.

Why It Matters

The report is a critical indicator of India's socioeconomic progress on the global stage. Although India showed a slight improvement in its absolute parity score, its overall ranking slipped to 131st out of 148 countries, highlighting the urgent need to address issues like low Female Labour Force Participation (FLFP) and the glass ceiling effect.

Background

History & Context

The World Economic Forum introduced the Global Gender Gap Index in 2006 to track progress toward gender equality. It measures gaps rather than absolute levels, focusing on resources and opportunities regardless of a country's overall wealth. Over the past nearly two decades, the index has become a standard metric for policymakers to identify areas needing urgent intervention, such as structural barriers keeping women out of the formal workforce.

What Changed

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India's Ranking: BEFORE in the 2024 report, India was ranked 129th out of 146 countries; NOW in the 2025 report, India is ranked 131st out of 148 countries despite a slight score improvement.
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Global Parity Timeline: BEFORE, previous estimates often projected well over 130 years to close the gap; NOW the 2025 report estimates it will take 123 years to achieve full global gender parity.
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Global Parity Score: BEFORE, the global gender gap was 68.5 percent closed in 2024; NOW it is 68.8 percent closed in 2025, showing marginal incremental progress.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This connects directly to Class 10 Political Science Chapter 4, 'Gender, Religion and Caste'. The chapter discusses how the sexual division of labor and unequal societal roles lead to lower economic participation and political representation for women, which are the exact metrics quantified by the WEF's Global Gender Gap Report.

Practice Questions

Q1

Correct Statement(s)

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Global Gender Gap Report? 1. It is published annually by the World Economic Forum. 2. It assesses gender parity across four key dimensions: Economic Participation, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment.

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