Gender Disparity In Workforce Rampant:WEF Report

Gender Disparity In Workforce Rampant:WEF Report

According to a recent World Economic Forum report, international economic equality between men and women will not be attained for another 8 decades, on an international scale. The disheartening conclusion of this study is reflected in the dismal rankings on the Gender Disparity index. WEF studied 142 countries and found that women's opportunities and chances for progression in the workplace are 60% of those of men.

In the first report, this percentage was 56% in the year 2006. As per the figures quoted, parity will now only be achieved around 80 to 81 years from now. “Much work still remains to be done,” Saadia Zahidi, head of the WEF’s gender-parity program and lead author of the report was quoted by the media as saying “The pace of change must in some areas be accelerated.”

Nordic countries have fared much better than other nations in the world. Unfortunately, not a single nation has yet been able to close the overall gender gap in its entirety. Iceland, Norway and Finland were the best ranking nations. Military service has been made compulsory for women by the government in these nations.

Sweden is another top ranking nation, having the same high rank as it previously did. Denmark was the fifth. Rwanda made it to number 7 among the top 10. Other nations which are also located in the top 10 include Nicaragua, Ireland, Belgium and the Philippines. “Achieving gender equality is obviously necessary for economic reasons,” Klaus Schwab, the WEF’s founder and executive chairman was quoted as saying “But even more important, gender equality is a matter of justice.”

The criteria for the WEF rankings included not only economics but also politics, health and education. The US has climbed to the 20th position, up three places from its ranking in the previous report. Women are now being appointed in corporate boards in Europe as well the US. Italy as well as Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium have quotas for women on board. India ranked 114th in the WEF ranking.

The recent SEBI reprieve for the appointment of women directors in company boards is an issue too. Ultimately, the policies for empowering women must be implemented for the positive change to result. Violence against women is a recurring issue and there have been countless cases of rape and murder. The status of women in India as well as the world remains less than satisfactory. WEF rankings point to the need for more interventions in this area for ensuring women empowerment.