Countries where gender equality is the highest are located in varying regions around the globe. Nordic countries—Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden—top the list, thanks to their gender equitable labor policies, healthcare access, and representation in government and leadership positions.
The most gender equal nations are Iceland, Finland, Norway, New Zealand and Sweden. The least gender equal countries are Chad, Iran, Congo, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The rankings by the World Economic Forum are based on factors including health, education, economic security and political power.
Australia is ranked 43rd for gender equality internationally. 3.9% are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
Some of the best countries for women include Norway, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and Iceland. These countries have low rates of gender-based violence, high levels of education and healthcare, and robust laws that protect women's rights.
Measuring gender equality
The 2020 Global Gender Gap Report from the World Economic Forum ranks progress toward equality in 153 countries around the world. The U.S. is in a disappointing 53rd place, compared to 25th place for Mexico and 19th place for Canada.
While many countries have moved closer to parity, China now ranks 106th in the global gender gap rankings among 153 countries slipping from 63rd position in 2006, according to the World Economic Forum (2019) report. In this paper we shed light on China's rebalancing from a gender perspective.
The most self-identifying feminists live in Sweden, France, Italy, Britain, Australia, the US, Turkey, Denmark, Mexico, and Germany. But people who live in countries that are further along in achieving gender equality don't necessarily consider themselves feminists, according to a new survey.
RWANDA: The Only Country in the World Where Dominated by Women.
Hillary Clinton (bottom left) has been the most admired woman 22 times, and Eleanor Roosevelt (bottom right) has been the most admired woman 13 times.
It is against the law to discriminate against a person because of their sex, gender identity, intersex status, sexual orientation, marital or relationship status, family responsibilities, because they are pregnant or might become pregnant or because they are breastfeeding.
Australia's gender pay gap is 22.8%. Women, on average earn, $26,596 less than men each year. Men are twice as likely to be in the top earning bracket and women are 1.5 times more likely to be in the lowest. Every single industry in Australia has a gender pay gap that favours men.
In recent decades, women in Australia have made significant strides towards equality with men. At universities, in workplaces, in boardrooms and in government, a growing number of women have taken on leadership roles, forging pathways for other women and girls to follow.
On average, women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. At the current rate, it is estimated that it will take 257 years to close the global gender pay gap. In 2020, the European Union had the highest gender pay gap in Latvia at 22.3% and the lowest in Luxembourg at 0.7%.
The number of men and women in the world is roughly equal, though men hold a slight lead with 102 men for 100 women (in 2020). More precisely, out of 1,000 people, 504 are men (50.4%) and 496 are women (49.6%).
The report listed the Philippines among the five countries that have achieved full parity in political and economic leadership – with women legislators, senior officials and managers. Other countries with the same achievement are Laos, Bahamas, Colombia, and Jamaica.
Strong Girl Bong-soon (Korean: 힘쎈여자 도봉순) is a 2017 South Korean television series starring Park Bo-young in the title role as a woman with superhuman strength, with Park Hyung-sik and Ji Soo.
Countries that are considered feminine cultures are Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and Costa Rica. According to Hofstede, "Femininity stands for a society in which social gender roles overlap: Both men and women are supposed to be modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life."
According to the Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2021, Yemen was the least gender equal country in the world. The Gender Inequality Index measures reflecting inequality in achievement between women and men in three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment, and the labor market.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the most patriarchal region in the world.
The traditional role of women in Japan has been defined as "three submissions": young women submit to their fathers; married women submit to their husbands, and elderly women submit to their sons.
A score of 0.4, which by most estimates China has surpassed years ago, is indicative of a highly unequal society. By comparison, according to the UNU-WIDER Database, countries such as Germany, Canada, and Japan all have estimated Gini coefficients that hover at just over 0.3.