International ReportsImportant2025-06-11

India Ranks 131st in Global Gender Gap Report 2025

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

B. 2 only — Statement 1 is incorrect as the Global Gender Gap Report is published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), not the World Bank. Statement 2 is correct as the index evaluates gender parity based on these four specific pillars.

Why focus: WEF index ranking India 131st — reliable Prelims trap for 'publishing agency' in How-Many-Correct formats

In News

What Happened

On June 11, 2025, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released the 19th edition of the Global Gender Gap Report. India ranked 131st out of 148 economies, securing an overall parity score of 64.1%. While India performed well in educational attainment, its overall rank was pulled down by poor performance in economic participation and a decline in political empowerment.

Why It Matters

This report highlights the persistent structural challenges women face in India's economy and polity despite significant educational gains. It underscores the urgency of addressing the stalled Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) to fully harness the nation's demographic dividend and achieve inclusive growth.

Background

History & Context

The World Economic Forum has published the Global Gender Gap Report annually since 2006 to measure gender parity across four key dimensions: Economic Participation, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. India's historical performance has often shown stark contrasts, typically scoring better in political empowerment due to local government reservations but lagging heavily in economic and health metrics. Recent trends have shown a stagnation in female workforce participation and a slight decline in female political representation at the national level, prompting renewed policy debates on workplace infrastructure and gender equity.

What Changed

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BEFORE: India ranked 129th out of 146 countries in the 2024 Global Gender Gap Report. NOW: India slipped to the 131st rank out of 148 countries in the 2025 edition.
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BEFORE: Political empowerment was traditionally a relatively strong pillar for India due to historical female heads of state and strong local representation. NOW: The 2025 report noted a decline in political empowerment at the national legislative and executive levels, negatively impacting the overall score.
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BEFORE: Economic participation metrics previously showed a slow but steady recovery post-pandemic. NOW: The 2025 report highlights a stalled Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) and persistent wage gaps, dragging down the economic opportunity score.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This event directly connects to Class 11 Political Science Chapter 3 - Equality. The WEF report serves as a quantitative application of the concept of 'substantive equality', demonstrating that formal access to education does not automatically translate to equal economic and political opportunities without targeted structural interventions.

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 Bank. 2. It assesses gender parity across four dimensions: Economic Participation, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment.

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