Northern Europe may have a cold climate, but for many women it is paradise nonetheless. In matters of gender equality, Nordic countries lead the way, according to the 2013 Global Gender Gap Report, issued by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The rankings are derived from an indexed calculation of male-female ratios of these categories:
- • Economic Opportunity: labor force participation, income equality, and career advancement
- • Educational Attainment: female access to education and literacy rate
- • Health and Survival: life expectancy and sex ratio (measures societal preference for sons)
- • Political Empowerment: females holding political office or ministerial positions
Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden remained the four highest ranked countries in the overall index, while Denmark trailed close behind at number eight. European countries dominated the top 25—high performers included Ireland, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. From the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines and New Zealand cracked the top ten—fifth and seventh, respectively. Australia, Canada, Cuba, Lesotho, Nicaragua, South Africa, and the United States also were among the top 25 performers.
The 136 countries in the index (representing 90 percent of the world’s population) have made progress in closing the health/survival and education attainment gender gaps—96 and 93 percent, respectively. However, gaps in economic opportunity and political empowerment persist. According to the WEF report, only 60 percent of the economic outcomes gap has been closed, while progress toward closing the political outcomes gap remains at 21 percent.
Overall, global trends indicate a slow, but steady shift toward gender equality. Eighty-six percent of the 110 countries evaluated since 2006 have demonstrated improved performance over the past four years, whereas only fifteen countries have shown widening gender gaps. The most improved countries since 2006 include Switzerland, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Cameroon, and Yemen; countries that lost ground include Mali, Jordan, Kuwait, and Zambia—all in the bottom quartile.
On the economic and political fronts, Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden are the definitive leaders in closing the gender gap. These Nordic countries enjoy the highest labor force participation rates for women and have the smallest salary gaps between men and women; additionally, women enjoy greater opportunities to hold political and economic leadership positions. Countries like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom ranked lower on the overall index due to the economic and political gender gaps that persist.
Progress toward gender equality in Nordic countries stems from the socio-economic policies that allow for greater female participation in the workforce—including mandatory parental leave, maternity leave, and parental leave benefits funded by social insurance funds and employers. Additionally, post-maternity re-entry programs allow women greater ease in continuing to work post-pregnancy. Countries that employ the talents, ideas, and leadership of educated women in the workforce are more likely to enjoy greater economic productivity and technological innovation.
Compared to their southern neighbors, Nordic countries will be prepared to handle the economic pressures of aging population due to greater female participation in the workforce. Female-friendly policies here already have led to higher fertility rates and greater economic participation as compared to other OECD countries. Nordic countries have fertility rates between 1.88 and 1.67, as compared to countries like South Korea, Japan, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Spain—with rates in the 1.4 range and as low as 1.24 (South Korea). Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States each have birthrates around the replacement rate, which ensures a stable population. Given a replacement rate of 2.1, 0.3 can make a big difference in a country’s economic future, and the Nordic countries have the clear advantage in this respect as compared to the rest of Europe.
Unlike the Nordic leaders, some states that have made investments in women’s education—including Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and Brazil—may fail to utilize the talents of its educated women, thereby missing out on much-needed economic growth. In the Middle East, where investment has reduced the education gap between men and women, countries have failed to reduce the gap in economic participation, leading to a similar result. Though no country has achieved complete gender parity, falling fertility rates and the widespread focus on economic growth in the developed world fall may prompt further progress. Predictably, gender equality in developing countries likely will take longer to achieve, though steady progress is expected to continue.
This article was originally published in the Diplomatic Courier's March/April 2014 print edition.
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Freezing Paradise: An Update on Global Gender Equality
March 18, 2014
Northern Europe may have a cold climate, but for many women it is paradise nonetheless. In matters of gender equality, Nordic countries lead the way, according to the 2013 Global Gender Gap Report, issued by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The rankings are derived from an indexed calculation of male-female ratios of these categories:
- • Economic Opportunity: labor force participation, income equality, and career advancement
- • Educational Attainment: female access to education and literacy rate
- • Health and Survival: life expectancy and sex ratio (measures societal preference for sons)
- • Political Empowerment: females holding political office or ministerial positions
Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden remained the four highest ranked countries in the overall index, while Denmark trailed close behind at number eight. European countries dominated the top 25—high performers included Ireland, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. From the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines and New Zealand cracked the top ten—fifth and seventh, respectively. Australia, Canada, Cuba, Lesotho, Nicaragua, South Africa, and the United States also were among the top 25 performers.
The 136 countries in the index (representing 90 percent of the world’s population) have made progress in closing the health/survival and education attainment gender gaps—96 and 93 percent, respectively. However, gaps in economic opportunity and political empowerment persist. According to the WEF report, only 60 percent of the economic outcomes gap has been closed, while progress toward closing the political outcomes gap remains at 21 percent.
Overall, global trends indicate a slow, but steady shift toward gender equality. Eighty-six percent of the 110 countries evaluated since 2006 have demonstrated improved performance over the past four years, whereas only fifteen countries have shown widening gender gaps. The most improved countries since 2006 include Switzerland, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Cameroon, and Yemen; countries that lost ground include Mali, Jordan, Kuwait, and Zambia—all in the bottom quartile.
On the economic and political fronts, Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden are the definitive leaders in closing the gender gap. These Nordic countries enjoy the highest labor force participation rates for women and have the smallest salary gaps between men and women; additionally, women enjoy greater opportunities to hold political and economic leadership positions. Countries like the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom ranked lower on the overall index due to the economic and political gender gaps that persist.
Progress toward gender equality in Nordic countries stems from the socio-economic policies that allow for greater female participation in the workforce—including mandatory parental leave, maternity leave, and parental leave benefits funded by social insurance funds and employers. Additionally, post-maternity re-entry programs allow women greater ease in continuing to work post-pregnancy. Countries that employ the talents, ideas, and leadership of educated women in the workforce are more likely to enjoy greater economic productivity and technological innovation.
Compared to their southern neighbors, Nordic countries will be prepared to handle the economic pressures of aging population due to greater female participation in the workforce. Female-friendly policies here already have led to higher fertility rates and greater economic participation as compared to other OECD countries. Nordic countries have fertility rates between 1.88 and 1.67, as compared to countries like South Korea, Japan, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Spain—with rates in the 1.4 range and as low as 1.24 (South Korea). Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States each have birthrates around the replacement rate, which ensures a stable population. Given a replacement rate of 2.1, 0.3 can make a big difference in a country’s economic future, and the Nordic countries have the clear advantage in this respect as compared to the rest of Europe.
Unlike the Nordic leaders, some states that have made investments in women’s education—including Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and Brazil—may fail to utilize the talents of its educated women, thereby missing out on much-needed economic growth. In the Middle East, where investment has reduced the education gap between men and women, countries have failed to reduce the gap in economic participation, leading to a similar result. Though no country has achieved complete gender parity, falling fertility rates and the widespread focus on economic growth in the developed world fall may prompt further progress. Predictably, gender equality in developing countries likely will take longer to achieve, though steady progress is expected to continue.
This article was originally published in the Diplomatic Courier's March/April 2014 print edition.
