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Equality between the sexes improved globally in 2008, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap report. Norway topped the poll for cutting the gender gap, but the United States trailed Western countries in 27th place.
Despite the modest ranking, the US is making progress in terms of sexual equality and is set to gain further, Saadia Zahidi, head of consentience at the World Economic Forum, told CNBC.com.
The US result was held back by the relatively small percentage of women currently working in political decision-making positions, Zahidi said. But that number is set to jump as more and more women make it into high-level political jobs, she said.
The US is currently just bellow Cuba and Barbados.
Finland, Sweden, Iceland and New Zealand all joined Norway at the top of the rankings.
The worsening global economic climate shouldn't signal a set-back for equality between the sexes, Laura Tyson from Hass Business School, Berkley told CNBC.
“Our work shows a strong correlation between competitiveness and the gender gap scores. … countries that do not fully capitalize effectively on one-half of their human resources run the risk of undermining their competitive potential,” Tyson said in a research note.
Moving Up the Charts
Switzerland jumped up the rankings to 14th from 40th in 2008 as the number of women in parliament and at ministerial-level positions increased rapidly.
France also made a strong improvement, rising to 15th from 51st due to both economic participation and political empowerment.
China soared 17 places to 57th as women narrowed the gap in educational attainment, economic and political participation.
The bottom-ranking countries showed a mixed picture of improving and worsening performance. Syria, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia all fell farther in the rankings, but Tunisia, Jordan and United Arab Emirates showed improving equality.
Overall the study indicated a move toward greater equality between men and women as more than two-thirds of the countries posted gains.
The Global Gender Gap 2008 Rankings – Top 20 |
| Country | 2008 | Score | 2007 | Change |
| Norway | 1 | 82.39% | 2 | +1 |
| Finland | 2 | 81.95% | 3 | +1 |
| Sweden | 3 | 81.39% | 1 | -2 |
| Iceland | 4 | 79.99% | 4 | 0 |
| New Zealand | 5 | 78.59% | 5 | 0 |
| Philippines | 6 | 75.68% | 6 | 0 |
| Denmark | 7 | 75.38% | 8 | +1 |
| Ireland | 8 | 75.18% | 9 | +1 |
| Netherlands | 9 | 73.99% | 12 | +3 |
| Latvia | 10 | 73.97% | 13 | +3 |
| Germany | 11 | 73.94% | 7 | -4 |
| Sri Lanka | 12 | 73.71% | 15 | +3 |
| United Kingdom | 13 | 73.66% | 11 | -2 |
| Switzerland | 14 | 73.60% | 40 | +26 |
| France | 15 | 73.41% | 51 | +36 |
| Lesotho | 16 | 73.20% | 26 | +10 |
| Spain | 17 | 72.81% | 10 | -7 |
| Mozambique | 18 | 72.66% | 43 | +25 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 19 | 72.45% | 46 | +27 |
| Moldova | 20 | 72.44% | 21 | +1 |
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Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes