World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 India Ranks 131st

Context:

India’s rank in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 reflects a widening gender disparity, especially in political and health domains. With a rank of 131st out of 148 countries.
Score: Approximately 64.1–64.4% parity achieved
Change: India slipped 2 positions from last year’s 129th
Economic Participation and Opportunity: India ranks 129th. While there has been an improvement in wage equality for similar work (+0.3 percentage points), the overall gender gap in economic participation remains significant. Wage Equality for Similar Work: Slight improvement Women in Senior Leadership: Rose to 40.7%
Estimated Earned Income Parity: Increased to 29.9% Female Labour Force Participation (FLFP): Stable at 45.9% (India’s highest-ever recorded rate)
Educational Attainment: India ranks 97.1st. This is an area where India has made some progress. Health and Survival: India ranks 147th, indicating a severe gender gap in this area, likely due to factors like sex ratio at birth. Political Empowerment: India ranks 148th, highlighting a significant lack of women’s representation in political spheres. Women’s representation in parliament has fallen from 6.5J India’s Performance

Comparison with Neighbors:

Bangladesh: Ranks 64th, indicating better gender equality than India.
China: Ranks 106th.
Sri Lanka: Ranks 119th.
Nepal: Ranks 125th.
Pakistan: Ranks 148th (bottom of the list).

Global Highlights

Global Parity Achieved So Far: 68.8%
Projected Time to Achieve Full Global Gender Parity: 123 years
Top-Ranked Nations (2025)
Iceland (1st, most gender equal for 15+ years)
Finland
Norway
New Zealand
Sweden

About World Economic Forum (WEF)

Founded in 1971 by Professor Klaus Schwab, a German-born academic. Headquarters located in Cologny, Geneva Canton, Switzerland. Began as the European Management Forum; rebranded to World Economic Forum in 1987 to reflect a broader global agenda. Serve as a platform for global public-private cooperation. Convene leaders from government, business, academia, and civil society to address global challenges. Promote multi-stakeholder solutions focused on global stability and prosperity. The World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index measures gaps in: Economic participation educational attainment Health and survival Political empowerment

Focus areas include:

• Economic stability and growth
• Technology and digital transformation
• Climate change and sustainability
• Social equity, including gender equality agendas.

Key Reports & Initiatives:

• Global Gender Gap Report: Measures gender-based disparities worldwide.
• Global Competitiveness Report: Benchmarks economic performance of countries.
• Global Risk Report: Analyses top global threats (e.g., pandemic, environmental risks).

Gender Equality:

Gender Equality refers to the state in which individuals of all genders have equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities in all spheres of life, be it economic, political, educational, health, or social. It does not mean men and women become the same, but that their rights, responsibilities, and opportunities are not determined by gender. Ensures equitable access to resources, decision-making power, and participation in public and private spheres. Constitutional and Legal Provisions in India
Article 14: Equality before law
Article 15: Prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex
Article 16: Equal opportunity in public employment
Article 39(d): Equal pay for equal work
Article 42: Just and humane conditions for working women
Maternity Benefit Act, 2017: Enhances maternity leave and crèche facilities
POSH Act, 2013: Prevents sexual harassment at workplace
Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR)
LFPR is the percentage of the working-age population (typically ages 15–64) that is either employed or actively seeking employment.
India’s Female Labour Force Participation (FLFP):
Current Level (2025): 45.9%
Global Average: ~60%