GENDER INEQUALITY INDEX (GII) 2022 RELEASED | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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    • March 2024

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    Posted 15 Apr 2024

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    GENDER INEQUALITY INDEX (GII) 2022 RELEASED
    • GII 2022 released by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
    • Index is Released by UNDP in their report Human Development Report 2023/2024; Breaking the gridlock Reimagining cooperation in a polarized world.
    • Key Highlights: 
      • Topped by Denmark, followed by Norway and Switzerland.
      • India has been ranked at 108 out of 193 countries with a score of 0.437. 
        • In 2021 India stood at rank 122 out of 191 countries.
      • India’s neighbouring nations such as Bhutan (80); Sri Lanka (90); and Maldives (76) have performed better.
    •  GII is a composite measure, reflecting inequality in achievements between women and men in three dimensions:
      • Reproductive Health: Use indicators namely the maternal mortality ratio and the adolescent fertility rate.
        • Also uses Female reproductive health Index.
      • Empowerment: Measured by the share of parliamentary seats held and at least secondary attainment level by both gender.
        • Also uses Female and male empowerment Index.
      • Labour market: Measured by labour force participation rates by both gender.
        • Also uses Female and male labour market Index.
    • GII score varies between 0 (when women and men fare equally) and 1 (when men or women fare poorly compared to the other in all dimensions).
    • Tags :
    • Inequality
    • Index

    UN SYSTEM-WIDE GENDER EQUALITY ACCELERATION PLAN
    • On International Women’s Day (IWD), the UN Secretary-General launched the new UN System-Wide Gender Equality Acceleration Plan to boost the empowerment of women and girls. 
      • In 2012, the United Nations Chief Executives Board approved a landmark System-wide Action Plan for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-SWAP) to be applied throughout the UN system.
      • UN-SWAP 2.0 (released in 2018) raised the bar for accountability by strengthening existing indicators and anchoring the framework within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
    • UN chief also highlighted that targeted programmes and quotas are required to tackle “baked-in bias”, and dismantle obstacles to equality.
      • Baked-in Bias implies that bias against a particular gender, caste, or community is continuing and is deep-rooted, and embedded in society.
    • Three priority action areas suggested by the UN- Secretary-General
      • Increasing affordable, long-term finance for sustainable development. 
      • Governments to prioritise equality for women and girls. 
      • Increase the number of women in leadership positions, which can help to drive investment in policies and programmes that meet the needs of women and girls.
    • Tags :
    • United Nations

    THE HOLISTIC PROGRESS CARD (HPC)
    • PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) a standard-setting body under the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), has devised the HPC for the foundational stage (Classes 1 and 2), preparatory stage (Classes 3 to 5) and middle stage (Classes 6 to 8).
    • HPC is a 360-degree, multidimensional report of progress, detailing the uniqueness of each learner in the cognitive, affective, socio-emotional, and psychomotor domains.
      • It is in line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy, 2020.
    • Objective of HPC
      • It helps to map the status of each child's learning for foundation literacy and numeracy skills.
      • It focuses on the uniqueness of each learner.
      • To document a child's own expression of self as well as the teacher’s assessment of the child based on the competencies.
      • It will form an important link between home and school and make parents an integral part of a child’s learning process.
    • Features of HPC
      • Asses through project-based and inquiry-based learning, quizzes, role plays, group work, portfolios, etc
      • It includes self-assessment, peer assessment and parent’s feedback.
      • Builds on self-awareness and self-esteem by communicating the strengths and areas of improvement.
      • Based on three Developmental Goals
        • Health and Wellbeing
        • Effective Communicators
        • Involved Learners
    • Tags :
    • PARAKH
    • NCERT

    SWAYAM PLUS PLATFORM
    • Ministry of Education (MoE) launched the SWAYAM Plus Platform.
    • SWAYAM is a Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) platform providing educational opportunities for learners.
    • About the SWAYAM Plus platform 
      • In alignment with National Education Policy 2020, it will now include courses supporting industry needs that enhance learners’ employability in collaboration with industry leaders.
      • It features innovative elements like multilingual content, AI-enabled guidance, credit recognition, and pathways to employment
      • IIT Madras has been appointed as nodal agency for implementing it.
      • Funded by MoE, Department of Higher Education.
    • Tags :
    • Ministry of Education
    • MOOCs

    ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE (OCSEA)
    • United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) released a report titled “Role of Social Media in facilitating Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse”.
    • Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA) involve the use of information and communication technology as a means to sexually abuse and/or sexually exploit children.
      • As per National Human Rights Commission, Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) has increased by 250 to 300 percent on social media in India.
    • How social media facilitates OCSEA?
      • Online predators: Social media platform could be used by predators to entice and coerce children into posting graphic content.
      • Access to Inappropriate Content: Children may purposefully or unintentionally gain access to sexually explicit material, easily accessible on social networking sites.
    • Impact of Child Sexual Abuse Material on Child 
      • Impair brain development, and cause psychological stress like Anxiety, Post-traumatic stress disorder, etc.
      • Potential to normalize or desensitize children to inappropriate behavior.
      • Leads to communicable and non-communicable diseases like sexually transmitted infections including HIV, cardiovascular disease, and unintended pregnancies etc.
    • Recommendations from report
      • Make it mandatory for online platforms to have clear, accessible, child-friendly mechanisms for children to report concerns.
      • Social media platforms and service providers should publish periodic transparency reports.
    • Tags :
    • UNICEF

    WORLD POVERTY CLOCK (WPC)
    • Latest data on World Poverty Clock showed that India has managed to bring down ‘extreme poverty’ below 3% of its population.
    • About WPC
      • Developed by World Data Lab, a global data enterprise.
      • Monitors global progress against Ending Extreme Poverty.
      • Funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany.
    • Tags :
    • Poverty
    • World Data Lab

    SWACHHATA GREEN LEAF RATING (SGLR) INITIATIVE
    • The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (Jal Shakti Ministry), in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, launched SGLR for the tourism industry.
    • Bison Resorts, Madhya Pradesh obtained the first Five Swachhata Green Leaf Rating Certificate of Recognition.
    • About SGLR
      • It is a type of rating system, which evaluates various tourist facilities based on their adherence to specific hygiene and sanitation standards. 
      • Aim: Revolutionize sanitation practices within the country's flourishing tourism industry.
      • It aligns with the Travel for LiFE (TFL) program under Mission LiFE.
    • Tags :
    • Ministry of Jal Shakti

    HOMOSEP ATOM
    • India's first septic tank/manhole cleaning robot known as Homosep atom developed by the startup Solinas reached 16 cities.
      • Solinas was incubated in the Department of Science and Technology (DST)-Technology Business Incubator (TBI)of IIT Madras.
    • About Homosep Atom
      • Robotic solution integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to inspect, clean, and manage confined space for sanitation purposes.
      • Features: Extensive blade cleanings, solid waste desilting, suction, and storage at one device.
      • Offers end-to-end solutions to eliminate manual scavenging.
    • Tags :
    • Tank/manhole cleaning robot
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