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Best places for women? India ranks 114th among 144 countries
India has closed its gender gap a little, and now ranks at 114
Image: Rupak De Chowdhuri / Reuters
The world economic Forum’s (WEF’s) Gender Gap Report 2014, released at the end of October, has no huge surprises.
The countries of northern Europe, which tend to wind up at the top of studies measuring happiness, are also the best places to be a woman. Out of the 144 countries covered in the research, Iceland topped the list, followed by the Scandinavian quartet of Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Economic powerhouse Germany comes in at 12, the US at 20, the UK at 26, and Japan at 104.
Click Here for The Gender Gap: where India stands
The only good news for the country is that it ranks above average on political empowerment. Thanks to Indira Gandhi, it ranks first on that score for the number of years a woman has been head of state. If it wasn’t for this, India would have been ranked even lower.
India is below average on three other sub-indices: Economic Participation & Opportunity, Educational Attainment, and Health & Survival. Its abysmal sex ratio statistics make it the second-lowest performing country on Health & Survival, ahead only of Armenia.
Labour force participation, estimated earned income and literacy rate: The 20 worst countries on each of these counts also includes India. And it has the highest gender difference on time spent on unpaid work, a daily average of 300 minutes.
For all of India’s pride in its science and technology education, it has one of the largest gaps between female and male R&D personnel. And it is not very hot on female entrepreneurship either, ranking among the lowest.
(This story appears in the 28 November, 2014 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)
Comments 4
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Bhutanese GuyBhutan, a worse place to be a women than India? Seriously? I am not sure what kind \"scientific\" data these people are basing these rankings of off but Bhutanese women practically run everything in Bhutan through indirect control of men. I don\'t know how much it can get for women there or anywhere else.
on Nov 18, 2014 -
Indieboy
There are many rural women who process the food (paapad making and stuff) without registering a company or LLP. Are these considered in metrics of entrepreneurship?
on Nov 17, 2014 -
Indieboy
Indian workplaces have much more women than places like US. Outside work, in general, women riding two-wheelers along are common scene. Hence it is very interesting data. Could someone publish the method, paramteres, data gathered etc. ?
on Nov 17, 2014 -
Bishnu
India is a country where mass uneducated people reside who misbehave not only women but also men. India is a country where handful illiterate people can be politician and rule. India is a country where many a people have do not know common courtesy. People are blind followers of either RELIGION OR POLITICAL PARTIES. People of India (We)must awake soon.
on Nov 17, 2014
