Gender Inequality Index (GII)

The Gender Inequality Index (GII) is a measure of gender disparities developed by the United Nations Development Programme. It is comprised of five indicators, which measure reproductive health, empowerment and labor market outcomes in a country, and are weighted to create an overall score ranging from 0 to 1. A lower GII score indicates lower levels of gender inequality in a given country. The GII is important because it serves to highlight the range of gender disparities and their associated costs, thus providing a foundation to better understand why gender disparities exist, and helping to inform policy-making decisions that reduce gender inequality.