The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently published the Global Gender Gap Report. The report benchmarks 149 countries based on their progress towards achieving gender parity. India retained its rank at 108th position, unchanged since 2017. The evaluation process uses a scale from 0 to 1, where 0 indicates disparity and 1 represents perfect parity. Factors assessed include economic participation, education attainment, health, survival, and political empowerment. Additionally, this year’s report put a notable focus on examining gender gaps in areas related to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Key Findings: A Global Perspective
Despite a slight narrowing of the global gender gap in 2018, women are still underrepresented in the labour force and political life as compared to men. Iceland continues to lead as the world’s most gender-equal country. With the current rate of progress, it is estimated that it will take 108 years to entirely close the gender gap worldwide.
When evaluating the four subindexes (economic participation, education attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment), the largest gender disparity was found in the area of Political Empowerment. On the positive side, the economic gender gap has narrowed in 2018. However, the gender gap in access to health, education, and political empowerment has increased. Sectors requiring STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) knowledge and skills reflect a significant underrepresentation of women. Analysis carried out with LinkedIn reveals a glaring gender gap in the AI profession, where women constitute only 22% of the AI workforce.
India’s Standing
India has demonstrated improvements in wage equality for similar work and for the first time, closed its tertiary education enrollment gap. Its primary and secondary education gaps have remained closed for three consecutive years. However, India ranks as the third-lowest in health and survival, making it the world’s least-improved country in this aspect over the past decade. Moreover, although India houses the second-largest AI workforce, it also showcases one of the largest AI gender gaps.
Table: Key Facts from the Global Gender Gap Report
| Fact | Description |
|---|---|
| Iceland is the most gender-equal country | Iceland holds the top position for gender equality. |
| 108 years to close the global gender gap | At the current rate of progress, it will take 108 years to entirely close the global gender gap. |
| Largest disparity in Political Empowerment | The largest gender disparity lies in the area of political empowerment among the four subindexes. |
| Women form only 22% of the AI workforce | A significant gender gap exists in the AI workforce, with women making up only 22%. |
Policy Recommendations and Ways Forward
The report calls upon policy-makers to recognize that countries aiming at remaining competitive and inclusive must prioritize gender equality as a crucial part of their human capital development. Stakeholders are urged to expedite the process of eliminating the gender gap and take stronger actions in the coming years. Industries are encouraged to hardwire gender parity in the future of work through effective training, reskilling, upskilling interventions, and tangible job transition pathways. With the stark gender gap in AI and its expanding demand in various industries, proactive measures to prevent the deepening of the gender gap are vital. Economies need to harness all their available talent to succeed in the fourth industrial revolution. Proactive measures that support gender parity, social inclusion, and address historical imbalances are essential for the global economy’s health and societal wellbeing.