Global progress in reducing gender inequality has been too slow to recover from the losses accumulated during the Covid19 pandemic, according to the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Gender Gap Report. The 2022 result represents an improvement over the previous year, when it took 135.6 to end the global gender gap had already widened, but it does not offset the generational worsening that occurred in the pandemic years. By 2020, that gap was estimated to be 100 years.

In 2022, the global gender gap has been closed by 68.1%. At the current rate of progress, it will take 132 years to reach full parity. The World Economic Forum considers four different areas: economic participation and opportunity; level of schooling; health and survival; and political empowerment. 

Across the 146 countries covered by the 2022 index, the Health and Survival gender gap has closed by 95.8%, Educational Attainment by 94.4%, Economic Participation and Opportunity by 60.3% and Political Empowerment by 22%.

For the 13th year in a row, Iceland remains the world’s most gender-equal country, followed by Finland, Norway, New Zealand and Sweden. The United States is in 27th place, while Portugal is in 29th position and Brazil ranks 94th.

The importance of ending gender inequality is a global agenda and a critical factor in prosperity that needs to be taken seriously by the authorities, according to the World Economic Forum. The study recommends that leaders use the creativity and dynamism of human capital to develop policies in their countries to overcome crises and accelerate recovery.

“The cost of living crisis is impacting women disproportionately after the shock of labour market losses during the pandemic and the continued inadequacy of care infrastructure. In face of a weak recovery, government and business must make two sets of efforts: targeted policies to support women’s return to the workforce and women’s talent development in the industries of the future. Otherwise, we risk eroding the gains of the last decades permanently and losing out on the future economic returns of diversity,” says Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director at the World Economic Forum.

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Source: World Economic Forum