“India has ranked 140th among 156 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2021. Among the drivers of this decline is a decrease in women’s labor force participation rate, which fell from 24.8 percent to 22.3 percent. In addition, the share of women in professional and technical roles declined further to 29.2 percent.’`-Business Standard
It’s a number definitely we shouldn’t be proud of. There are many reasons for this widened gap.
One reason is the lack of education and training. the percentage of women in STEM is far lower than the men. This ultimately leads to lower-paying jobs being offered.
Second the family burden and stereotypical assumption regarding motherhood. In families, working women are expected to work eight hours in the office and then indulge in tremendous labor at home that goes unrecognized. It’s believed that after becoming a mother, a woman won't be able to prioritize her work. Thus the institution reduces the responsibilities on women’s shoulders with bonafide intention to help, but this ultimately reduces her appraisal as the person working in her place demands and deserves more for his extra work.
Third, while choosing their career women give more importance to proximity to the workplace, flexible hours, etc than their salaries thus reducing their bargaining power. Many women have the habit of underestimating their task.They dread perfection. Looking for perfection in every task greatly reduces the number of tasks and deals the lady demands.
Fourth, since women are never assumed to be sole breadwinners, management finds it just to divert the appraisal to the person with bigger responsibilities and a family to look after.

Here's good news bringing parity in the pay scale is comparatively easier than bringing the actual perception change. Stricter law and seeing their enforcement can be a great relief in this context. Making corporate space comfortable for women and ensuring their safety will go a long way in ensuring parity. A person’s qualifications and merit should be the sole factor deciding job roles and appraisals. Families should learn not to burden women with household chores.
So start at your home as every small thing counts.
References :
https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/wef-s-gender-gap-index-india-slips-28-places-ranks-140-among-156-nations-121040100015_1.html