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National
India slips to 131st place in 2026 Global Gender Gap Index
✍️ Telangana Today
🗓 17 Sep 2026, 06:39 AM
👁 12
The World Economic Forum’s 2026 Global Gender Gap Report places India at 131st out of 146 countries, highlighting persistent gaps in health, education, economic participation and political empowerment.
The World Economic Forum released its Global Gender Gap Index for 2026, ranking India at 131st position among 146 economies evaluated. The placement reflects the country's standing on gender parity across four key dimensions.
The index measures gaps between women and men in health and survival, educational attainment, economic participation and opportunity, and political empowerment. Each dimension is scored on a scale where 1.0 indicates full parity. India's composite score places it well below the global average, signalling substantial room for improvement.
Analysts say the ranking underscores structural challenges such as lower female labour‑force participation, limited representation of women in elected offices, and disparities in access to quality education and healthcare. Civil‑society groups and policymakers are expected to use the data to shape targeted interventions.
While the report provides a comparative snapshot, it also calls for sustained policy focus to close the gaps. Stakeholders are urged to prioritize gender‑responsive reforms in education, skill development, and workplace policies to improve future rankings.
The index measures gaps between women and men in health and survival, educational attainment, economic participation and opportunity, and political empowerment. Each dimension is scored on a scale where 1.0 indicates full parity. India's composite score places it well below the global average, signalling substantial room for improvement.
Analysts say the ranking underscores structural challenges such as lower female labour‑force participation, limited representation of women in elected offices, and disparities in access to quality education and healthcare. Civil‑society groups and policymakers are expected to use the data to shape targeted interventions.
While the report provides a comparative snapshot, it also calls for sustained policy focus to close the gaps. Stakeholders are urged to prioritize gender‑responsive reforms in education, skill development, and workplace policies to improve future rankings.