India is ranked at 112 out of total 134 listed countries in the Global Gender Gap Report issued by World Economic Forum.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, commenting on India?s low ranking on the list, in a statement in Nevada (USA) on Tuesday said that India needed to take urgent steps to make women as equal partners in the society and eliminate gender inequality.
?Lesser gender gaps would also bring prosperity and economic competitiveness to the country besides fairness,? he said.
Zed, who is President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, stressed the need of promoting female literacy in India.
According to last census, female literacy in India was about 54 percent, while male literacy was about 75 percent. Quoting Hindu scriptures, Zed said: Where women are honored, there the gods are pleased.
Iceland topped the Global Gender Gap rankings showing greatest equality between men and women, followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden, and New Zealand respectively. Yemen was last in the list at 134.
The Global Gender Gap Report assesses 134 countries on how well they divide resources and opportunities amongst male and female populations.
Gap is measured in the areas of economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment, and health and survival.
World Economic Forum, headquartered in Geneva (Switzerland), is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world. Klaus Schwab is the Executive Chairman, while its Foundation Board members, besides others, also include Mukesh D. Ambani (Reliance) and Indra Nooyi (PepsiCo).