Inequality Pulling India Back: UN Report

Is economic and social inequality pulling India back? (Photo: The Quint)

India ranks 130 out of 188 countries on the Human Development Index, according to the UNDP’s Human Development Report. However, once inequality is factored in, we drop even further to 150. In addition to employment strategies, the report calls for the government, civil society and the private sector to come together to reduce inequality, especially gender inequality.

In addition to national employment strategies, the report calls for a new social contract between governments, society, and the private sector to ensure that all members of society have their needs taken into account in policy formulation, a global deal among governments to guarantee workers’ rights and benefits around the world and a decent work agenda, that will help promote freedom of association, equity, security, and human dignity in work life. The report repeatedly singles out India’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme for praise. 

Article in <i><a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/inequality-pulls-back-india-undps-human-development-report/article7988558.ece">The Hindu</a></i>

Women’s workforce participation in India has declined from 35 percent in 1990 to 27 percent in 2013. (Photo: iStockphoto)

Women in India

• 80 percent of women in India do not own bank accounts.
• Women’s workforce participation has declined from 35 percent in 1990 to 27 percent in 2013.
• Unpaid work, predominantly performed by women, is estimated at 39 percent of GDP.
• The numbers for life expectancy at birth in India has increased to 68 years in 2014 from 67.6 in 2013 and 53.9 years in 1980.

There is a stagnation for expected schooling rate in India. (Photo: iStock)

The report also highlights further issues with India’s record, for instance, the stagnant number of expected years of schooling, which It has been at 11.7 years since 2011. In the same vein, over half of India’s total employed are working poor, according to the international poverty line at $2 per day.

In addition, India ranks 130 out of 155 in the Gender Inequality Index of reproductive health, empowerment, and economic reform.