By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, Dec. 19, 2018: More affirmative actions from the government and persistent advocacy actions from the civil society are needed to address the gender gap in India, says human rights activist, Sister Cynthia Mathew, a member of the Congregation of Jesus.
According to this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF) Gender Gap report, India’s rank was 108 among 149 countries that participated in the survey. The country’s position was the same in 2017, while it was 21 notches higher, at 87, in 2016.
The report’s results were based on India’s performance across four broad categories: women’s economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival and political empowerment.
In the past, various groups have ranked gender inequalities around the world. The index focuses on the relative gap between men and women in four fundamental categories – economic participation, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. It does not include factors such as crime rates against women versus men, domestic violence, honor killings or such factors, Sister Cynthia told Matters India.
“Of course, it is difficult to collect such data as many of these crimes are not being reported. However, it is important that we as civil society focus on these areas where the gender gap is widening and needs more attention. This can be achieved through various advocacy actions from the civil society and affirmative actions from the government,” she added.
She is a social worker and lawyer, who worked in India with the Dalit (formerly untouchable) people, prisoners and women and practiced law in the Patna High Court with juvenile delinquents and victims of rape and domestic violence. She is now NGO representative to the United Nations for her congregation.