Mind the Gap: India Needs to Ensure Women’s Participation in Policymaking
India's Gender Gap Ranking (2025)
India ranks 131 out of 148 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index.
Score: 64.1% gender parity.
Among the lowest in South Asia.
What the Index Measures
Economic opportunity
Education
Health
Political empowerment
India's Performance
1. Economic Opportunity
Small improvement: +0.9%
Income parity increased: 28.6% → 29.9%
Labour force participation: 45.9% (same as last year)
2. Education & Health
Scores improved due to positive trends
3. Political Empowerment
Fell from 14.7% to 13.8% in Parliament
Women ministers dropped from 6.5% to 5.6%
Way Forward
Key Issues
India must build on gains and fix weak areas
Women’s political representation has faced long delays
Women's Reservation Bill
First introduced in 1996
Passed only in 2023 (after 27 years)
Reserves 1/3rd seats in Parliament and State Assemblies
Will be implemented in 2029 (after Census and delimitation)
What Can Be Done Now
Political parties can choose to include more women in elections
India must aim for true gender equality, not just better rankings
By Shivam Saxena
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