Lok Sabha Question No. 3231 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-05
Subject: Global Gender Gap
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Nalin Kumar Kateel, Sumalatha Ambareesh, Karti P. Chidambaram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3231

TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.08.2022

## GLOBAL GENDER GAP

3231.  SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL: SHRIMATI SUMALATHA AMBAREESH: SHRI KARTI P. CHIDAMBARAM:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether gender gap in India is increasing and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the  Government has taken note of the lowest  ranking  ascribed  to  India  in  the Global Gender Gap Report, 2022 by World Economic Forum, if so, the details thereof and reasons therefor;
- (c) the  details  of  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  improve  sex  ratio  and  healthy  life expectancy of women as per WHO Standards;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  of  three  percentage  point  decline  in  Female Labour Force Participation Rate since 2021, if so, the details thereof and reasons therefor along with the steps taken by the Government to enhance women's participation in labour force; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  plans  to  amend  existing  policies  to  reduce  gender  parity  in aforementioned indicators and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) and (b) As per the Global Gender Gap Report 2022 released by the World Economic Forum on 13 th July 2022, India's rank has improved on the Global Gender Gap Index in 2022 compared with 2021.

The  Global  Gender  Gap  Report  2022  ranks  India  at  135  out  of  146  countries  on  the  Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) with a score of 0.629 out of 1. The Global Gender Gap Report 2021 ranked India at 140 out of 156 countries with a score of 0.625.

(c)  Government  accords  highest  priority  to  improving  sex  ratio  in  the  country  and  ensuring healthy  life  for  women.  Some  major  initiatives  taken  by  the  Government  in  this  regard  are  as follows:

-  Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) ensures protection, survival and education of girl child.
-  Mission  Saksham  Anganwadi  and  Poshan  2.0 aims  to  address  the  challenges  of malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers through a  strategic  shift  in  nutrition  content  and  delivery  and  by  creation  of  a  convergent  ecosystem to develop and promote practices that nurture health, wellness and immunity.
-  Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna (PMMVY) provides partial compensation for the wage loss and seeks to improve health seeking behaviour among the pregnant women and lactating mothers. The revamped PMMVY under Mission Shakti also aims to promote positive behavioural change towards girl child by providing additional cash incentives for the second child, if that is a girl child.
-  Rollout  of  Comprehensive  Primary  Health  Care  including  health  promotion  through Ayushman Bharat-Health & Wellness Centers (AB-HWC).
-  Janani  Shishu  Suraksha  Karyakram (JSSK)  to  eliminate  out-of-pocket  expenses  for pregnant women delivering in public health institutions and sick infants accessing public health institutions for treatment.
-  Janani  Suraksha  Yojana (JSY)  to  provide  financial  assistance  to  pregnant  women for encouraging institutional delivery.
-  Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana empowers women and protects their health by providing LPG cylinder free of cost.

As a result of the above measures, the sex ratio at birth has improved from 918 (2014-15) to 937 (2020-21) and the life expectancy at birth has improved from 69.4 years (2014-18) to 69.7 years (2015-19).

(d) and (e) As per the Global Gender Gap Report 2022, Female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR)  in  India  is  19.2%  compared  with  22.3%  in  2021.  However,  these  two  figures  are  not comparable  because  of  change  in  definition  of  'Labour  Force  Participation  Rate'  in  the  two successive reports by the World Economic Forum. The age-group under consideration in 2022 report is '15 years and above' which was '15-64 years' for 2021 report.

The  Government  has  taken  several  initiatives  to  enhance  women's  participation  in  labour force.   The  labour  laws  have  specific  provisions  relating  to  women  workers  besides  all  other rights under labour laws which, inter alia, include:

-  The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 provides that there shall be no discrimination in an establishment or any unit thereof among employees on the ground of gender in matters relating to wages by the same employer, in respect of the same work or work of similar nature done by any employee.
-  The Maternity Benefit Act , as amended in 2017, provides paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for two surviving children.  It also has enabled provision of 'Work from home',  after  availing  of  the  maternity  benefit  by  the  woman,  where  the  nature  of  work being assigned of such nature, for such period and on such conditions mutually agreed upon by the employer and the woman employee.
-  Vide  notification  dated  29 th January  2019  under Mines  Act  1952 ,  the  Government allowed  the  employment  of  women  in  the  aboveground  mines  including  opencast workings between 7 pm and 6 am and in below ground mines working between 6 am and 7 pm in technical, supervisory and managerial work where continuous presence may not be required.
-  The Government has also enacted the four Labour Codes, namely the Code on Wages, 2019; the Industrial  Relations  Code,  2020; the Code on Social Security, 2020, and the Occupational  Safety,  Health  and  Working  Conditions  Code,  2020,  which  inter  alia promote participation of women in workforce in a dignified manner through a number of provisions, some of which are as follows:
- o No discrimination on the ground of gender in matters relating to wages, recruitment and in the conditions of employment,
- o Women are entitled to be employed in all establishments for all types of work even before 6 AM and beyond 7 PM subject to their consent and other adequate safety measures.

Some of the major initiatives taken by the Government for improving economic empowerment of women are as follows:

-  Sakhi Sadan (Working Women's Hostel) scheme provides safe and affordable housing for working women and thereby encourages more women to seek employment.
-  Palna ,  the  National  Crèche  Scheme,  ensures  that  women  take  up  gainful  employment through providing a safe, secure and stimulating environment to the children.
-  Hubs  for  Empowerment  of  Women  (HEW) at  National,  State  and  District  level  have been approved under the new Mission Shakti. The support under HEW is available for guiding, linking and hand holding women to various institutional and schematic set-up for their  empowerment  and  development  including  equal  access  to  healthcare,  quality education, career and vocational counselling/training, financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, backward and forward linkages, health and safety for workers, social security and digital literacy at various levels across the country.
-  Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) has been initiated by Government, inter alia, for facilitation  self-employment.  Under  PMMVY,  collateral  free  loans  upto  Rs.  10  lakh  are extended to micro/small business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to setup or  expand  their  business  activities . Majority  of  the  beneficiaries  under  this  yojna  are women.
-  Stand  Up  India scheme  promotes  entrepreneurship  amongst  women,  SC  and  ST categories,  i.e.,  those  sections  of  the  population  understood  to  be  facing  significant hurdles due to lack of advice/ mentorship as well as inadequate and delayed credit.
-  Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana aims to enable a large number of Indian youths including women to take up industry-relevant skill training in securing a better livelihood.
-  Deen  Dayal  Antyodaya  National  Urban  Livelihoods  Mission focuses  on  creating opportunities for women in skill development, leading to market-based employment.
-  Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana aims to provide housing under the name of woman also.
-  Sukanya Samriddhi Yojna - Girls have been economically empowered by opening their bank accounts under this scheme.
-  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 is a major credit-linked subsidy programme aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector.
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