Gender Inequality Index
The Gender Inequality Index (GII) is a statistical measure that assesses disparities between men and women across 170 countries, focusing on three key dimensions of human development: reproductive health, empowerment, and labor market participation. Introduced by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in 2010, the GII uses five indicators—maternal mortality ratio, adolescent fertility rate, women's representation in government, educational attainment, and labor force participation—to evaluate gender inequality. A higher GII score indicates greater gender inequality and a more significant loss in human development. The index ranges from 0 to 1, where 0 signifies complete equality, and 1 denotes maximum inequality. The GII aims to capture the impact of gender inequality on overall development without considering income levels, a critique of earlier indices.
While the GII provides valuable insights, it is not without its criticisms. Some argue that its complexity can make it challenging for policymakers to interpret, and the indicators may not universally reflect gender inequality in all cultural contexts. Notably, the GII does not account for unpaid domestic work, which can skew results in societies where such contributions are prevalent. Overall, the GII serves as a significant tool for understanding gender disparities and their implications for development worldwide.
On this Page
Gender Inequality Index
The Gender Inequality Index (GII) measures the disparities between men and women in 170 countries throughout the world. When assessing gender inequality, the GII considers three dimensions of human development: reproductive health, empowerment, and labor market participation. Five indicators are used under these three dimensions: (1) maternal mortality ratio (MMR); (2) adolescent fertility rate (AFR); (3) the proportion of government positions occupied by females; (4) the proportion of women with at least some secondary education; (5) the proportion of women in the labor force. The higher the score, the greater the gender inequality in a country and the greater the loss of human development. The index was introduced in 2010 by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and is published in the United Nations Human Development Reports.
Background
Two similar indexes were introduced prior to the Gender Inequality Index (GII): the Gender Development Index (GDI) and the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM). Both were used to measure gender inequality throughout the world for the United Nations Human Development Reports. The GDI measures the inequalities between females and males relating to life expectancy, education, and control of economic resources. The GEM measures the differences between males and females regarding political participation, economic participation, and control over economic resources. Both indexes faced sharp criticisms for not capturing the extent of gender inequality. Analysts contend that the GDI did not measure gender inequality accurately because its components were too closely related to those of the Human Development Index (HDI), which are living a long, happy life, having access to knowledge, and having a decent standard of living. The GEM was criticized for being more relevant to developed nations than underdeveloped nations. The GII, introduced in 2010, measures the loss of achievement due to gender inequality without considering income levels; the previous two indexes were criticized for including income.
Overview
The GII has five indicators that cover three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment, and labor market participation. The GII is the first inequality index to include reproductive health. The two indicators for reproductive health are only relevant to women: the maternal mortality rate (MMR) and the adolescent fertility rate (AFR). In a country with a low MMR, it is likely that pregnant women have access to health care, and the opposite is likely true for a country with a high MMR. It is more likely for adolescents to graduate high school in a country with a low AFR; the reverse is true in a country with a high AFR. Empowerment is measured by two indicators: women’s ability to attain at least some secondary education and their impact on the passage of laws. A lack of education decreases a woman’s freedom and ability to access information. The last dimension, labor market participation, refers to females’ participation in the workforce. Studies have shown that gender equality has many health benefits, including a longer life expectancy for both women and men and lowering obesity.
The value of GII ranges from 0 and 1, with 0 being complete equality, which indicates that women are treated the same as men. A score of 1 indicates 100 percent inequality, meaning women and men are not treated equally. No country has perfect gender inequality, so all countries suffer at least some loss of human development because of gender inequality.
The GII is interpreted as a percentage. For example, a score of 0.50 would be 50 percent. The score indicates the percentage of human development lost due to gender inequality. The higher the score, the greater the gender inequality and the greater the loss of human development. Human development refers to health, lifespan, education, and standard of living. According to the United Nations (UN), in general, countries with a GII score of 0.155 have very high human development; those with a score of 0.320 have high human development; a score of 0.494 indicates a medium level of human development within a country; and a score of 0.577 indicates low human development within a country.
According to the United Nations (UN), in 2021, the five countries with the least gender inequality and the highest human development were Denmark (0.013); Norway (0.016); Switzerland (0.018); Sweden (0.023); and the Netherlands (0.025). The United States had a score of 0.179 and ranked 44 out of 170 countries. The five countries with the greatest inequality and the lowest human development were the Central African Republic (0.672); Afghanistan (0.678); Nigeria (0.680); Papua New Guinea (0.725); and Yemen (0.820).
While no gender inequality index is perfect, the GII has received its share of criticism. Many think the GII is too complex in its calculations and may be too difficult for analysts and policymakers to interpret. The indicators used by the GII may not be relevant or meaningful in all parts of the world. Lesser-developed countries will likely have a high maternal mortality rate (MMR) and adolescent fertility rate (AFR), which will lower their human development score. However, the reason for their higher MMR and AFR may have nothing to do with gender inequality. The GII also does not include unpaid domestic work or unpaid childcare as participation in the workforce. However, in some countries, it is customary for women and girls to spend most of their time doing these types of unpaid work while men and boys spend little, if any time, working in this capacity. Yet, this will increase the gender inequality scores in these countries even though it may not be a reflection of gender inequality. Women in at least some of these countries may be permitted to enter the paid labor force if they choose to do so, but many do not because unpaid domestic work is part of their culture.
Bibliography
Andrijevic, Marina, et al. “Overcoming Gender Inequality for Climate Resilient Development.” Nature Communications, vol. 11, no. 6261, 15 Dec. 2020, doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19856-w. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
“Human Development Index.” Human Development Reports, 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/human-development-index#/indicies/HDI. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
“Human Development Report 2023-24.” Human Development Reports, 13 Mar. 2024, hdr.undp.org/content/human-development-report-2023-24/. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Ma, Julie, et al. “Gender Inequality in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Associations with Parental Physical Abuse and Moderation by Child Gender.” International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health, vol. 19, 19 Oct. 2022, doi.org/10.3390%2Fijerph191911928. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Yazd, Sahar Deghagh, Melinda Oroszlanyova, and Nilufer Pekin Alakoc. “Understanding How Gender Inequality May Affect Children’s Health: An Empirical Study Across 161 Countries.” Cogent Social Services, 14 May 2023, doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2023.2209982. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.