India climbs up 14 ranks on Gender Inequality Index on the back of women-focused policies

India ranks 108 out of 193 countries with a score of 0.437 on the Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2022 released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on March 13.

India has jumped 14 ranks on the index, which was released as part of UNDP's Human Development Report 2023/2024. The country earlier stood at rank 122 out of 191 countries, with a score of 0.490 on the Gender Inequality Index 2021.

“Over the last 10 years, India’s rank in GII has become consistently better, indicating progressive improvement in achieving gender equality in the country. In 2014, this rank was 127, which now has become 108,” the Ministry of Child and Welfare Development said in a press release.

The report by UNDP on the theme 'Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World' stated that this growth is a result of the plan designed by the government to ensure women’s empowerment. 

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The government's efforts include large-scale initiatives for girls' education, skill development, entrepreneurship facilitation, and workplace safety, as per the report. 

The government has focused on developing policies and legislation in these areas. which have played a vital role in driving women-led development and are aimed at fostering their long-term socio-economic and political advancement, it said.

The report also revealed that India’s ranking on the United Nations Human Development Index improved by one position in 2022 to 134, out of 193 countries, from 135 in 2021. 

While Denmark secured first place on GII, Switzerland topped the charts in the Human Development Index. Pakistan and Nepal ranked 135th and 126th, respectively, on GII.