gendergapindex

Gendergapindex is a generic composite indicator used to measure the extent of gender disparities between women and men across social, economic, and political domains. It is employed by researchers, policymakers, and media to assess progress toward gender equality and to compare countries or regions over time.

Most implementations combine multiple indicators into a single score. Common domains include economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. The best-known examples include the Global Gender Gap Index published by the World Economic Forum as part of its Global Gender Gap Report, and the Gender Inequality Index produced by the United Nations Development Programme.

Methodology typically involves collecting country-level data from international statistics agencies and national sources, standardizing indicators, and aggregating them with predefined weights. Scores are often normalized to a standard scale, such as 0–1 or 0–100; in some indices higher scores indicate greater parity, in others greater inequality. Data quality and availability vary by country and over time, which can affect comparability and interpretation.

Uses of gendergapindex include tracking progress toward gender equality, benchmarking performance across countries, informing policy debates, and supporting advocacy efforts. Critics note limitations such as data gaps, differences in data collection methods, sensitivity to indicator selection and weighting, and the potential to obscure within-country or subgroup disparities.

Historically, different organizations have produced related measures, notably the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index (since 2006) and the UNDP’s Gender Inequality Index (since 2010). The term gendergapindex reflects a general class of such measures rather than a single official standard.