The Global Gender Gap Report, published annually by the World Economic Forum (WEF), benchmarks countries on their progress toward gender parity across four key dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment.
Historical Context:
- Inception:
- First Publication: The first Global Gender Gap Report was published in 2006.
- Purpose: Aims to provide a framework for capturing the magnitude and scope of gender-based disparities and tracking their progress over time.
Key Dimensions:
- Economic Participation and Opportunity:
- Labor Force Participation: Measures the ratio of women to men in the labor force.
- Wage Equality: Assesses the wage gap between women and men for similar work.
- Leadership Positions: Evaluates the representation of women in managerial and senior official roles.
- Educational Attainment:
- Access to Education: Tracks the ratio of female to male literacy rates and enrollment rates at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
- Quality of Education: Examines the quality of education received by girls compared to boys.
- Health and Survival:
- Life Expectancy: Compares the life expectancy of women and men.
- Sex Ratio at Birth: Assesses the balance of males and females born, addressing issues like sex-selective practices.
- Political Empowerment:
- Representation in Parliament: Measures the percentage of women in national parliaments.
- Representation in Ministerial Positions: Evaluates the proportion of women in ministerial roles.
- Heads of State: Tracks the number of years with a female head of state over the last 50 years.
Methodology:
- Scoring System:
- Index Scores: Each country is assigned a score between 0 and 1, where 1 represents full gender parity.
- Subindices: Scores for each of the four key dimensions contribute to the overall score.
- Data Sources:
- International Organizations: Data is sourced from various international organizations, including the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNESCO, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
- National Statistics: Country-specific data from national statistics offices and government reports.
Global Findings:
- Overall Trends:
- Slow Progress: The overall global gender gap has been closing slowly, with significant variation across regions and countries.
- Improvements in Education: Educational Attainment shows the smallest gender gap, with many countries achieving near parity.
- Political Empowerment: The largest gender gap remains in Political Empowerment, where progress has been slow.
- Regional Variations:
- Nordic Countries: Typically rank highest, with countries like Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden leading in gender parity.
- Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Often have the largest gender gaps, particularly in Economic Participation and Political Empowerment.
Country Rankings:
- Top Performers:
- Iceland: Consistently ranks at the top due to its strong performance across all dimensions.
- Nordic Countries: Norway, Finland, and Sweden regularly feature in the top ranks.
- Lowest Performers:
- Yemen: Often ranks at the bottom, with significant gender disparities in all four dimensions.
- Sub-Saharan Africa and MENA: Several countries in these regions face large gender gaps, especially in economic and political spheres.
Challenges and Issues:
- Economic Disparities:
- Workforce Participation: Women’s participation in the workforce remains lower than men’s in many countries.
- Pay Gap: Persistent wage gaps between men and women for similar work.
- Political Representation:
- Underrepresentation: Women are underrepresented in political decision-making positions globally.
- Cultural Barriers: Socio-cultural factors and traditional gender roles often hinder women’s political participation.
- Educational Access:
- Quality of Education: Gender disparities in the quality of education received by girls compared to boys in some regions.
- Dropout Rates: Higher dropout rates for girls due to factors like child marriage, poverty, and cultural norms.
- Health and Survival:
- Sex Ratio Imbalance: In some countries, cultural preferences for male children lead to imbalanced sex ratios at birth.
- Healthcare Access: Women’s access to healthcare services is limited in certain regions, affecting their overall health outcomes.
Recent Developments:
- COVID-19 Impact:
- Economic Setbacks: The pandemic disproportionately affected women’s employment and economic opportunities.
- Increased Care Burden: Women took on more unpaid care work during the pandemic, impacting their participation in the labor market.
- Policy Initiatives:
- Gender Quotas: Several countries have introduced gender quotas to improve women’s representation in politics and corporate boards.
- Economic Policies: Policies aimed at reducing the gender pay gap and promoting women’s participation in STEM fields.
- Global Movements:
- #MeToo Movement: Raised global awareness about sexual harassment and gender-based violence, prompting policy changes and greater advocacy for women’s rights.
- HeForShe Campaign: UN Women’s solidarity movement engaging men and boys in promoting gender equality.
Future Prospects:
- Accelerating Progress:
- Targeted Interventions: Need for targeted interventions to address specific gender gaps in economic participation and political empowerment.
- Global Cooperation: Enhanced international cooperation and policy exchange to share best practices and successful strategies.
- Technological Advancements:
- Digital Inclusion: Promoting digital inclusion for women to bridge the gender gap in technology and innovation.
- Remote Work: Leveraging remote work opportunities to increase women’s participation in the workforce.
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- Goal 5: Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls is a key component of the UN’s SDGs, driving global efforts and investments.
