Explain the underlined principles of gender related development index and the gender empowerment measure. How do they differ from the HDI and the HPI.

The gender empowerment measure (GEM) and the gender related development index (GDI) are sources which countries and often the untied nations use to measure disproportion and inequality in a country.
The gender empowerment measure is a calculation of inequality between and men’s and women’s opportunities in a country. It includes inequalities in 3 parts; political participation and judgments, economic participation and judgments, and control over economic resources. The GEM is used by the United Nations in the annual human development report. The process in which the GEM is analysed firstly starts by calculating a percentage of women and men in parliament. Other areas are measured and then for each area a percentage is calculated into an equally distributed percentage.
The gender related development index is an indication of the standard of living in a country. This is developed by the United Nations and is also used in an annual human development report. This index is similar to the GEM in the sense that it shows inequalities in gender but it calculates these through different areas. These are standard of living, a long and healthy life and knowledge.
The human development index (HDI) is an assessment of life expectancy, standard of living and education for countries world wide. It is a way of deciding whether a country is developed or not. The index was first introduced in 1990 and has been used since by the United Nations. The HDI measures a country on 3 fundamental factors of human development. Each year countries are listed and ranked according to these measures. This index differs from the GEM and the GDI as these measures concentrate of gender inequalities and problems, where as the HDI asses both genders together by looking at a country as a hole and assessing factors including standards of living. This index could be said to be too deterministic as it does not separate gender and age.
The human poverty index (HPI) is an assessment of the standard of living in a country. This has been developed by the United Nations; the difference with this index is that it specifically targets people who do not have access to safe water, people without access to health care and people with underweight children. This index can therefore show a better reflection of the extent of deprivation in a country. As this index points out the lack of decent living standards in certain countries it could help towards aid being sent to countries needing it most. To conclude the HPI could be said to be the most important index as it allows use to distinguish between countries with absolute poverty and countries with good living standards.