Iceland Ranked First in Global Gender Equality in Report
The World Economic Forum’s sixth annual report on gender equality shows that the United States ranks 17th among nations around the world, far behind top-ranked Iceland.
“The Global Gender Gap Report 2011” found that 85 percent of countries surveyed improved their gender equality ratios, but elsewhere in the world the situation is declining. Among the nations that slipped in the ratings are New Zealand, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Spain and Sri Lanka.
“Nordic countries (Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) continue to hold top spots having closed over 80 percent of their gender gaps, while countries at the bottom of the rankings still need to close as much as 50 percent,” the report found.
After gathering information from 60 countries, researchers found that 88 percent of countries have legislation prohibiting gender-based workplace discrimination. Less than 45 percent have a national benchmarking tool. Twenty percent of the countries surveyed have mandated female corporate board representation and 30 percent have mandated political participation.
“Gender gaps close when countries recognize the economic and social imperatives. With the right policies, change can happen very quickly,” says study co-author Laura Tyson.
To read the report, check here. | |
|