The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index Report 2020 that was released last Tuesday shows that India has slipped four places to 112 based on multiple parameters which is  even behind the so-called minnows such as Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. It seems there are no respites from the discomforts earned by the country on various international platforms and this one is the latest of the lot and certainly not the way of ideal way of ending the year, if viewed through the eyes of a common citizen. The basics based on which the index has been prepared have been existing permanently since ages which are rising disparity in terms of women’s health and participation in the economy along with various similar weak points. How much seriously this report will be taken is a matter of conjecture. But it will be greatly hailed if, at least, it is taken as a wake-up call and actions are taken for reversing these realities which must be beyond any scope of getting concealed behind any smokescreen(s).
The exhaustive report which covers 153 countries has painted some disturbing facts for India whose nutshell suggests that in overall, condition of Indian women in society is precarious and when viewed vis-à-vis the improvement achieved by countries ranked lower in earlier editions, it must be said that it’s no less than a national disgrace. Among a host of vulnerable points, the depth of economic gender gap has been starkly visible and in this aspect alone the slip has been 7 steps down to bring India to almost at the bottom at 149th, making it the only country where the economic gender gap is even larger than the political one. When it comes to the important yardsticks of health and survival, the rank is even below Pakistan, 150th out of the total of 153, not to mention an extremely low sex ratio of 91 girls to 100 boys. The much discussed topics which are the undeniable core reasons leading to the overall women disempowerment have once again been pointed out in the report- violence, forced marriage, discrimination in access to health etc. And the difference in literacy rate which say that only two-thirds of women are literate compared to 82 per cent of men will only put the efficacies of the much hyped women welfare schemes before a big question mark.
The idea of restoring gender parity to attain a strong, cohesive and progressive Indian society has been alive for decades. But with his report, it has once more been exposed that serious drawbacks do exist. The nation as a whole will be benefited if they are first acknowledged and then followed by measures that would herald a reversal. 

 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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