Nordic countries continue to show the world how to bridge inequality between men and women. Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden are the top four, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2010.
The index’s scores can be interpreted as the percentage of the gap that has been closed between women and men. The 2010 report features a total of 134 countries, representing over 93% of the world’s population.
Others in the Top 10 are New Zealand (5), Ireland (6), Denmark (7), Lesotho (8), Philippines (9), and Switzerland (1).
The countries at the bottom are Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, Benin, Saudi Arabia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Pakistan, Chad and Yemen.
The level of gender equality in France (46) has dropped with the number of women in ministerial positions falling over the past 12 months. The United States (19) has narrowed its gap. for the first time in the report’s five-year history it has broken into the top 20.
Ireland (6), Switzerland (10), Spain (11), Germany (13) and the United Kingdom (15) are among the European countries dominating the top 20. The Philippines continues lead in Asia, and is ranked 9th. Lesotho (8) and South Africa (12) are the toppers from Africa.
The situation in the Arab world continues to be dismal. The United Arab Emirates at 103 is the highest-ranking country. Next in the line are Kuwait (105), Tunisia (107) and Bahrain (110).
The Global Gender Gap Report (PDF) measures the size of the gender inequality gap in four areas:
1) Economic participation and opportunity – outcomes on salaries, participation levels and access to high-skilled employment
2) Educational attainment – outcomes on access to basic and higher level education
3) Political empowerment – outcomes on representation in decision-making structures
4) Health and survival – outcomes on life expectancy and sex ratio.
"Nordic countries continue to lead the way in eliminating gender inequality," Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, said in a statement. "Low gender gaps are directly correlated with high economic competitiveness. Women and girls must be treated equally if a country is to grow and prosper. We still need a true gender equality revolution, not only to mobilize a major pool of talent both in terms of volume and quality, but also to create a more compassionate value system within all our institutions."
