Gender bias: India touches new low

The Times of India: "India ranks virtually at the bottom of a study of 58 nations to measure the gender gap based on five critical parameters set by the United Nations Development Fund for Women. Only five countries - Korea, Jordan, Pakistan Turkey and Egypt - rank lower than India's 53rd position in the Davos-based World Economic Forum's index, titled "Women's Empowerment: Measuring the Global Gender Gap."

Bangladesh, the only other South Asian country featured in the list, is ranked several rungs higher at 39, just below Japan at 38 and Malaysia at 40, says the index released here Monday. "Large populous nations such as India, Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt hold some of the lowest positions in the rankings. Their rankings reflect large disparities between men and women on all five areas of the index," the forum said.

The five areas are: economic participation in terms of remuneration, economic opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment in decision-making and health and well-being, particularly access to reproductive healthcare. "The sole exception is India's good score in the area of political empowerment (24), a development that may be taken as a good omen for the future," the forum added.

India is ranked 54 in economic participation, 35 in economic remuneration, 57 in education and 34 in health and well-being. The Nordic countries hold the top five positions in the rankings, with Sweden leading the way.

"The experience of the Nordic countries provides a useful benchmark for comparison purposes - an excellent example of the fact that concerted efforts over time will yield lasting results," the study says. Among other countries in the index, Britain ranks eighth, the US 17, China 33, Malaysia 40, and Thailand 44. "