How is the world doing on gender equality? According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), the picture is mixed. The needle is moving in the right direction, according to its latest Global Gender Gap report, but incrementally. At the current rate of progress, the report finds, it will take 131 years to reach full parity between women and men (the report does not take into account non-binary or other identities). And no country has yet achieved full gender equality.

While countries in Europe and North America tend to do better than the rest of the world, there is plenty of variation. The United States, for example, ranks 43rd, with the gender gap less than 75% closed, behind countries including Colombia, Belarus, Liberia and Cabo Verde. Australia (77.8%) ranked 26th, between Mozambique and Chile, and Canada (77%) ranked 30th, between Slovenia and Barbados.

The report weighs aspects like women's economic participation (including the gender gaps in income, employment and leadership roles), educational attainment (with measures like literacy rates and educational enrolment), health and survival (such as life expectancy) and political empowerment (female representation in parliament, ministerial positions and years with a male or female head of state).

TOP 10 COUNTRIES IN THE 2023 GLOBAL GENDER GAP REPORT:
Iceland, gap 91.2% closed
Norway, gap 87.9% closed
Finland, gap 86.3% closed
New Zealand, gap 85.6% closed
Sweden, gap 81.5% closed
Germany, gap 81.5% closed
Nicaragua, gap 81.1% closed
Namibia, gap 80.2% closed
Lithuania, gap 80% closed
Belgium, gap 79.6% closed

Source: https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230927-the-worlds-most-gender-equal-countries