Iceland is closer to achieving full gender equality than any other country, according to the Global Gender Gap Report, published by the World Economic Forum. This is the ninth consecutive year Iceland tops the list. Nordic countries occupy four out of the top five countries on the list. The UK comes in 15th place and the US 49th. The three countries where the gender gap is largest are Syria, Pakistan and Yemen.
Gender equality is key to growth, prosperity
Gender parity is fundamental to whether and how economies and societies thrive. The Global Gender Gap Index attempts to capture how close nations are to achieve this parity. It was first introduced by the World Economic Forum in 2006. This year the index ranks 144 countries on their progress towards gender parity on a scale from 0 (imparity) to 1 (parity) across four dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment.
Read more: Icelandic society most tolerant and inclusive worldwide, world's third highest quality of life
Iceland scores a 0.878 out of a maximum 1, followed by Norway which comes in second with a score of 0.830 and Finland which comes in third with a score of 0.823. Iceland's main strength lies in women's political empowerment, where Iceland comes in first position, with a score of 0.75, compared to the average score of 0.227. Iceland also does very well on educational attainment, where Iceland has scores a perfect 1, having achieved full parity when it comes to the literacy rate as well as enrollment in secondary and tertiary education.
Iceland also does very well on economic participation and opportunity, especially when it comes to closing the gender pay gap, labor force participation and the ratio of women to men as professional and technical workers.
Iceland is closer to achieving full gender equality than any other country, according to the Global Gender Gap Report, published by the World Economic Forum. This is the ninth consecutive year Iceland tops the list. Nordic countries occupy four out of the top five countries on the list. The UK comes in 15th place and the US 49th. The three countries where the gender gap is largest are Syria, Pakistan and Yemen.
Gender equality is key to growth, prosperity
Gender parity is fundamental to whether and how economies and societies thrive. The Global Gender Gap Index attempts to capture how close nations are to achieve this parity. It was first introduced by the World Economic Forum in 2006. This year the index ranks 144 countries on their progress towards gender parity on a scale from 0 (imparity) to 1 (parity) across four dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment.
Read more: Icelandic society most tolerant and inclusive worldwide, world's third highest quality of life
Iceland scores a 0.878 out of a maximum 1, followed by Norway which comes in second with a score of 0.830 and Finland which comes in third with a score of 0.823. Iceland's main strength lies in women's political empowerment, where Iceland comes in first position, with a score of 0.75, compared to the average score of 0.227. Iceland also does very well on educational attainment, where Iceland has scores a perfect 1, having achieved full parity when it comes to the literacy rate as well as enrollment in secondary and tertiary education.
Iceland also does very well on economic participation and opportunity, especially when it comes to closing the gender pay gap, labor force participation and the ratio of women to men as professional and technical workers.
