Editorial 1: ​Mind the gap

Context

India must guarantee meaningful involvement of women in the policymaking process.

Introduction

India’s declining position in the Global Gender Gap Index 2025, now at 131 out of 148, highlights persistent gender inequality. Despite gains in economic participation, health, and education, setbacks in political empowerment hinder progress. The report signals the urgent need for policy action, representation reforms, and a societal shift toward genuine gender parity.

India’s Performance in the Global Gender Gap Index 2025

• Global Ranking and Score
  • India ranks 131 out of 148 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2025.
  • This marks a drop of two positions from the previous year.
  • India’s overall gender parity score is 64.1%, placing it among the lowest-ranked countries in South Asia.

Assessment Criteria of the Index

• The Index evaluates gender parity across four core dimensions:
  1. Economic Participation and Opportunity
  2. Educational Attainment
  3. Health and Survival
  4. Political Empowerment

Areas of Improvement or Stability

• Economic Participation and Opportunity
  • Slight improvement of +0.9 percentage points.
  • Estimated earned income parity rose from 28.6% to 29.9%.
  • Labour force participation rate held steady at 45.9%, the highest level recorded for India.
• Educational Attainment and Health & Survival
  • Both dimensions showed positive shifts contributing to higher subindex scores.

Major Area of Decline: Political Empowerment

• Female representation in Parliament
  • Declined from 14.7% to 13.8% in 2025.
  • This is the second consecutive year of decline since 2023.
• Women in Ministerial Positions
  • Fell from 6.5% to 5.6%, continuing the downward trend since 2023.

Way Forward: Policy and Political Will

• Structural Reforms Needed
  • India must build on existing gains and address shortfalls with strong policies and decisive political will.
• Historical Hurdles
  • The Women’s Reservation Bill, introduced in 1996, faced decades of delay and resistance.
  • Eventually passed in 2023, the Act reserves one-third of seats for women in Parliament and State Assemblies.
  • Implementation, however, is deferred until 2029, following the next Census and delimitation exercise.

Beyond the Index: Real Gender Equity

• Ranking should not be the sole goal; the focus must be on substantive gender equity within India.
• Political parties need not wait till 2029 to enhance female representation.
  • They can take proactive steps now to field more women candidates and foster inclusivity in political processes.

Conclusion

India’s focus must shift from merely improving global rankings to achieving substantive equality. The delayed implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act and falling female representation reflect systemic gaps. Only through political commitment, timely execution, and inclusive leadership can India foster a truly equitable society and transform gender justice from aspiration into actionable reality.