Introduction
The Gender Development Index (GDI), introduced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1995, measures gender inequalities in achievement across the three fundamental dimensions of human development: health, education, and command over economic resources.
Core Dimensions and Methodology
The GDI measures the ratio of female to male achievements in the Human Development Index (HDI). It utilizes three primary dimensions:
- Health: Measured by female and male life expectancy at birth.
- Education (Knowledge): Evaluated through expected years of schooling for children and mean years of schooling for adults aged 25 and older.
- Command over Economic Resources: Measured by estimated Gross National Income (GNI) per capita for females and males.
Calculation and Interpretation
The index is calculated as the ratio of the female HDI to the male HDI:
GDI = HDIFemale / HDIMale
- Parity Benchmark: A value of 1.000 indicates absolute gender parity. Values below 1 indicate female disadvantage, while values above 1 reflect male disadvantage.
- Grouping System: The UNDP categorises countries into five groups based on the absolute deviation of gender parity from 1, ranging from Group 1 (high equality, deviation within 2.5%) to Group 5 (low equality, deviation greater than 10%).
Empirical Context: National and State Level
- India's Ranking: According to the UNDP Human Development Report (2023/24), India has a GDI value of 0.849, placing it in Group 5, indicating high disparity in development achievements between men and women.
- Himachal Pradesh: Himachal Pradesh performs significantly better than the national average, leading Indian states with an estimated GDI of 0.990 (near parity) as per MoSPI estimates, primarily driven by strong educational outcomes and higher female life expectancy.
Conclusion
While Himachal Pradesh showcases near parity, India's overall GDI highlights significant disparities, underscoring the urgent need to bridge gender gaps in female labour force participation and wage equity.