The article discusses India’s ranking in the World Bank Index of Working Women’s Life Cycle.
The World Bank Life Cycle of Working Women Index
- It is a tool developed by the World Bank to measure and track the progress of women’s economic participation and opportunities over their lifetimes.
- It is based on a set of indicators that measure factors such as laws and regulations affecting women’s employment, access to finance, and gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace.
- The index is divided into three sections: Before beginning a job, During employment, and After employment.
- Each category contains a set of indicators that assess the specific challenges and opportunities that women face at various stages of their careers.
- The index’s goal is to provide data and insights to policymakers and stakeholders that can be used to inform policies and programmes aimed at improving women’s economic opportunities and outcomes.
- The index is updated on a regular basis to track progress and identify areas where more action is required.
The performance of India
- The World Bank Index on the Life Cycle of Working Women, which measures factors such as laws, regulations, and practises affecting women’s economic participation, gave India a score of 74.4 out of 100.
- This score ranks India 140th out of 190 countries in the index.
- Issues raised India has made progress in some areas, such as maternity benefits and anti-discrimination legislation.
- There are still significant disparities in areas such as equal pay and financial access.
- The report also emphasises the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s economic participation, with many women losing jobs and working fewer hours.
Important suggestions
- The report concludes by making recommendations for actions that can be taken to improve women’s economic participation, such as expanding access to childcare.
- Encouraging flexible working arrangements and
- Addressing gender-based workplace violence and harassment
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-scores-744-in-world-bank-index-on-life-cycle-of-working-women/article66576659.ece#:~:text=The%20laws%20affecting%20the%20Indian,out%20of%20a%20possible%20100.