Gender Inequality and Gender Gap: An Overview of the Indian Scenario

Gender inequality is pervasive in many societies, creating disparities between genders in terms of what they can accomplish and their access to opportunities. Achieving sustainable development necessitates providing equal chances to all, regardless of gender. Despite the remarkable economic progress India has attained, gender inequality is a major concern. Against this backdrop, the current study endeavours to comprehend gender inequality and analyse the extent of gender gap in India using secondary data. India’s performance in major gender-related indices paints a stark picture of gender inequality in the country. The study also finds that there exists gender gap in India concerning health, education, political representation and economic participation. Further, the study finds that female labour force participation has steadily declined over the years, raising concerns over the inclusiveness of India’s economic growth. The findings of the study provide valuable insights to policymakers to formulate effective policies that promote gender equality.

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Notes

The United Nations member states adopted the 17 SDGs in 2015 as part of the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development'. Achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls is the fifth goal of the SDGs.

The Gender Equality Index was developed by EIGE in 2013 to measure the progress of gender equality in the European Union.

The Social Institutions and Gender Index was developed by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Centre in 2007 to measure discrimination against women in social institutions.

The Economist Intelligence Unit developed the Women’s Economic Opportunity Index in 2010 to measure the economic opportunities available for women.

Based on the HDI score, countries are classified into different categories: low human development (below 0.550), medium human development (0.550–0.699), high human development (0.700–0.799) and very high human development (above 0.799).

On the basis of Gender Development Index (GDI) scores, countries are divided into five categories according to the degree of deviation from gender parity in Human Development Index (HDI) values. Category 1 represents the countries that are closest to achieving gender parity, while Category 5 represents the countries that are farthest from parity.

A decrease in the GII score indicates that gender inequalities concerning reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market have reduced.

The Population Census of India is carried out decennially, and the most recent census was conducted in 2011. Due to the unprecedented circumstances posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 census has been postponed. Hence 2011 census is the latest available evidence.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. School of Management Studies, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kozhikode, 673601, Kerala, India Issabella Jose
2. School of Management Studies, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kozhikode, 673601, Kerala, India Sunitha Sivaraman

1. Issabella Jose