India dropped two places to 129th in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap index. According to the rankings released on June 12, Iceland remained at the top.
In South Asia, India ranked fifth, while Pakistan was last among neighboring countries—Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan.
On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the WEF noted only a slight improvement in the global gender gap. “The @wef’s Global #GenderGap24 report is now live. It shows only a slight improvement in the global gap, with parity still five generations away at current rates of progress. However, in a historical election year, improving the #political participation of #women could have a significant impact,” it stated.
Globally, among 146 economies, Sudan was last, with Pakistan at 145th, falling three spots this year.
India was among the countries with the lowest levels of economic equality, alongside Bangladesh, Sudan, Iran, Pakistan, and Morocco, all registering less than 30 percent gender parity in estimated earned income. The report also showed declines in ‘Educational Attainment’ and ‘Political Empowerment,’ with India falling two spots from 127th last year.
“Despite some bright spots, the slow and incremental gains highlighted in this year’s Global Gender Gap Report underscore the urgent need for a renewed global commitment to achieving gender parity, particularly in economic and political spheres,” WEF Managing Director Saadia Zahidi was quoted by PTI.
