Women gain as gender gap 'narrows' worldwide

[klr]

Where's the best place to be a woman?

For five years in a row, Iceland has been rated the country with the world's smallest gender gap by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The rating means Iceland is the country where women enjoy the most equal access to education and healthcare. It is also where women are most likely to be able to participate fully in the country's political and economic life.

Iceland is joined at the top of the The Global Gender Gap Report, 2013 by its Nordic neighbours Finland, Norway and Sweden.

Overall, the gender gap narrowed slightly across the globe in 2013, as 86 of 133 countries showed improvements. However, "change is definitely slow", says one of the report's authors, Saadia Zahidi.

Explore the maps below to find out how countries compare overall - as well as in key areas of daily life, such as in health, education, employment and politics.

Top countries
1. Iceland
2. Finland
3. Norway
4. Sweden
5. Philippines
6. Ireland
7. New Zealand
8. Denmark
9. Switzerland
10. Nicaragua

...

Lots more text and purty graphs here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-24650912

[Tero]

Interesting that there is a bigger health gap in Europe than US.

[klr]

Interesting also that women in the Philippines have a much better lot (relative to men) than their sisters in Japan.

[JimC]

We probably don't make it into the top 10 because our shielas have been whinging about us, and not getting the beer from the fridge fast enough...

[piscator]

I guess everyone's equally fucked in Nicaragua...

[JimC]

I guess everyone's equally fucked in Nicaragua...

Sometimes a dozen times a night! With 2 and half somersaults, and a half twist!

[Audley Strange]

Hey thanks KLR. Looking forward to reading through it. Nice to see some research that looks as if its cautious and accurate in its methodology so far rather than starting with a conclusion.

Even a cursory glance though refutes the BBC's bullshit and bollocks. Good stuff.

[piscator]

I guess everyone's equally fucked in Nicaragua...

Sometimes a dozen times a night! With 2 and half somersaults, and a half twist!

Yep. Lots of earthquakes in Nicaragua.

[cronus]

A list of countries ready for invasion by neighbours.

[PsychoSerenity]

Interesting that there is a bigger health gap in Europe than US.

I'm not even sure what they mean by gender gap in health, - the full report is far too long for me to look into now, - but I guess they are saying the gender gap is reduced if women don't live longer than men?

I don't know how much it says about why this might be the case.

I wonder if the longer life expectancy for women is at all a biological thing?

[charlou]

These countries are leaders in childhood learning, rehabilitative justice and equal rights ... Examples to understand and to emulate.

[cronus]

These countries are leaders in childhood learning, rehabilitative justice and equal rights ... Examples to understand and to emulate.

Male apathy also.

[charlou]

How so?

[cronus]

How so?

women are moving forward, men must be in retreat or stood still.....there's nothing like a near empty wallet to give women a edge though.

[JimC]

How so?

women are moving forward, men must be in retreat or stood still.....there's nothing like a near empty wallet to give women a edge though.

It doesn't always have to be a zero-sum game...