MOSCOW, October 28 (RIA Novosti) — Women in Scandinavian countries enjoy the most equality in the world, while Britain falls out of top-20 gender equal states, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum.
However, the Global Gender Gap Report 2014 advises that since 2006 “the world has seen only a small improvement in equality for women in the workplace,” adding that the gender gap for economic participation and opportunity has closed by only four percent, to 60 percent.
For the sixth consecutive year, Iceland takes first place in the list, followed by fellow Nordic nations Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The report remarks that these highest ranking countries “have closed over 80% of their gender gaps, while the lowest ranked country — Yemen — has closed a little over half of its gender gap.”
Rwanda is included in the report for the first time and takes seventh place, the highest showing of any country from Sub-Saharan Africa, while the Philippines is the best performing Asian country. Nicaragua makes the best showing from Latin America and the Caribbean, and Kuwait follows Israel with the highest scores from the Middle East and North Africa.
The UK slipped out of the top 20, falling eight places to 26th position, while the US climbed three places to 20th. Russia took 75th place, down from 61st in 2013.
The report also seeks to track the progress in gender equality over time. This ninth edition suggests that, if progress continues to be made at its current sluggish rate, equality in the workplace will not be achieved until 2095.
The smallest gaps between the sexes were found in the areas of Educational Attainment and Health and Survival, at 94 and 96 percent respectively, though the latter has seen a one percent decrease since 2006, and the former a two percent increase. The gap in Political Empowerment made a seven percent improvement to reach 21 percent, and Economic Participation went up to 60 percent, from 56 percent in 2006.
The WEF’s urge for greater action in tackling inequality follows the focus it placed on gender issues during its January Annual Meeting in Davos, in which prominent figures such as IMF chief Christine Lagarde and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn recommended taking specific measures, among them quotas, to boost female representation in government and business.
