The world has seen modest progress in closing the gender gap, however, the pace remains sluggish, indicating that it could take five generations to achieve full gender parity, according to the latest edition of the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report.
The WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2024, released on Wednesday, June 12, said one of the most notable areas of improvement is seen in the realm of political participation, a domain where the gap between men and women is most pronounced. However, top-level political positions continue to elude women on a global scale, highlighting persistent systemic barriers.
On the economic front, there's a positive trend in labor-force participation, with global parity reaching 65.7%, marking a recovery from the pandemic-induced low of 62.3%.
In the tech sector, there's a notable increase in women's representation in the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI) engineering. Since 2016, the number of women in AI engineering roles has doubled, reflecting a growing recognition of the importance of diverse perspectives in shaping technological advancements. However, significant underrepresentation persists in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields and AI, indicating the need for concerted efforts to bridge this gap.
Meanwhile, India has slipped two places on the WEF Global Gender Gap index to 129th place, while Iceland retained its top position in the rankings. Among its South Asian neighbours, India ranks after Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, but ahead of Pakistan, which slipped three places to 145th. Globally, Sudan is ranked last on the index of 146 countries.
The WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2024, released on Wednesday, June 12, said one of the most notable areas of improvement is seen in the realm of political participation, a domain where the gap between men and women is most pronounced. However, top-level political positions continue to elude women on a global scale, highlighting persistent systemic barriers.
The report said that the year 2024 holds particular significance, with over 60 national elections scheduled worldwide. As the largest global population in history prepares to exercise its voting rights, there's hope that women's political representation may see an uptick, potentially influencing the overall gender gap.
On the economic front, there's a positive trend in labor-force participation, with global parity reaching 65.7%, marking a recovery from the pandemic-induced low of 62.3%.
In the tech sector, there's a notable increase in women's representation in the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI) engineering. Since 2016, the number of women in AI engineering roles has doubled, reflecting a growing recognition of the importance of diverse perspectives in shaping technological advancements. However, significant underrepresentation persists in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields and AI, indicating the need for concerted efforts to bridge this gap.
Meanwhile, India has slipped two places on the WEF Global Gender Gap index to 129th place, while Iceland retained its top position in the rankings. Among its South Asian neighbours, India ranks after Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, but ahead of Pakistan, which slipped three places to 145th. Globally, Sudan is ranked last on the index of 146 countries.
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