The World Economic Forum released the annual Global Gender Gap Report 2011 on Tuesday. The report indicates that while women have made progress in decreasing the gender gaps in health and education, there still remains considerable disparities in the areas of political participation and economic equality. The report surveyed 135 countries which make up more than 93 percent of the world’s population and ranked each country based on the various levels of women’s education, health, economic and political participation.
“A world where women make up less than 20 percent of the global decision-makers is a world that is missing a huge opportunity for growth and ignoring an untapped reservoir of potential,” said Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum.
According to the report, Nordic countries, such as Iceland, Norway, and Sweden are leaders in the movement toward increased gender equality while Great Britain and the United States trail behind. The report also found that wage inequality is still a persistent problem in the United States, with the US ranking 68th in the world on this issue.
