Initiatives by Government for reducing Gender Gap in all aspects of Social, Economic and Political Life

As per the Global Gender Gap Index Report 2020 published by the World Economic Forum, India ranks 112 out of 153 countries with a score of 0.668 out of 1. India ranked 108 out of 149 countries with a score of 0.665 as per the Global Gender Gap Index Report 2018. Thus, India’s performance has marginally improved from 0.665 in 2018 to 0.668 in 2020.

Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) consists of four dimensions, namely, (i) economic participation and opportunity (ii) educational attainment (iii) health and survival, and (iv) political empowerment. As per the computational mechanism of GGGI, highest performance score on each of these four dimensions is 1. According to the GGGI Report 2020 India has scored 0.354 in economic participation and opportunity, 0.962 in educational attainment, 0.944 in health and survival and 0.411 in political empowerment.

In order to improve India’s status in this index, this Ministry has adopted two-pronged strategy (i) Monitoring the performance by engagement with Publishing Agency of GGGI, namely, World Economic Forum (ii) Identification of Reform Areas and Reform Actions in consultation with concerned Ministries and Departments.

Some major initiatives taken by Government of India for removing the gender gap in all aspect of social, economic and political life are as follows:

Economic Participation & Opportunity and Health & Survival: Various programmes/Schemes that are intended towards women development and empowerment are:

• • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) ensures the protection, survival and education of the girl child.
  • Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) aims to empower rural women with opportunities for skill development and employment.
  • Working Women Hostel (WWH) ensures the safety and security for working women.
  • Scheme for Adolescent Girls aims to empower girls in the age group 11-18 and to improve their social status through nutrition, life skills, home skills and vocational training
  • Mahila Police Volunteers (MPV) envisages engagement of Mahila Police Volunteers in States/UTs who act as a link between police and community and facilitates women in distress.
  • Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) is an apex micro-finance organization that provides micro-credit at concessional terms to poor women for various livelihood and income generating activities.
  • The National Crèche Scheme ensures that women take up gainful employment through providing a safe, secure and stimulating environment to the children.
  • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandna Yojna aims to provide maternity benefit to pregnant and lactating mothers.
  • Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana aims to provide housing under the name of the woman also.
  • Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) aims to enable a large number of Indian youth including women to take up industry-relevant skill training in securing a better livelihood.
  • Deen Dayal Upadhyay National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) focuses on creating opportunities for women in skill development, leading to market-based employment.
  • Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana empowers women and protects their health by providing LPG cylinder free of cost.
  • Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna(SSY) – Under this scheme girls have been economically empowered by opening their bank accounts.
  • Skill Upgradation & Mahila Coir Yojna is an exclusive training programme of MSME aimed at skill development of women artisans engaged in coir Industry.
  • Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) – a major credit- linked subsidy programme aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector
  • Female Entrepreneurship: To promote female entrepreneurship, the Government has initiated Programmes like Stand-Up India and Mahila e-Haat (online marketing platform to support women entrepreneurs/ SHGs/NGOs), Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme (ESSDP). Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) provides access to institutional finance to micro/small business.

Educational Attainment: Several steps and initiatives have been taken up in school education system such as National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 and flagship programme like Samagra Shiksha and the subsequent Right to Education Act (RTE). Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) have been opened in Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs). Gender sensitisation is also done which includes gender sensitization Module – part of in-service training, construction of toilets for girls, construction of residential quarters for female teachers and curriculum reforms.

Political Participation: To bring women in the mainstream of political leadership at the grass root level, government has reserved 33% of the seats in Panchayati Raj Institutions for women. Capacity Building of Panchayat Stakeholders including Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) of Ministry of Panchayati Raj is conducted with a view to empowering women to participate effectively in the governance processes.

(c) Gender Budget has been made a part of Union Budget of India since 2005 that entails fund allocation towards programmes/schemes dedicated to women. Through this effort the Government is continuously promoting gender parity/equality with a focus on alleviating gender gap in all sectors and at all levels of governance. As per the Gender Budget Statement, Government has earmarked Rs.153326.28 Crore for FY 2021-22 to be used by the Ministries towards schemes/programmes aimed at reducing gender gap in all aspects of social, economic and political life.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.