Global Gender Gap Report 2015 Home Previous Next

Blogs and Opinion

  • 8 female CEOs on bridging the gender gap in tech

    Tuesday 15th of June 2021

    The technology industry is booming – in the first quarter of 2021, global venture investments reached $125 billion (a 94% year on year increase). But if a rising tide lifts all boats, why has the inclusion and participation of women in tech not also shot up?

  • World leaders must put women at centre of COVID-19 recovery

    Friday 11th of June 2021

    Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, women and girls around the world confronted a gender gap that left them less able to step into leadership roles, earn a fair wage, or access quality health care or education.

  • German parliament legislation to improve gender parity in boardrooms

    Thursday 3rd of June 2021

    Germany’s conservatives have dropped their resistance to new legislation aimed at increasing gender equality on management boards after an agreement to give companies more time to adapt and to guarantee female executives maternity leave.

  • A 5,000-year-old history of the gender gap

    Tuesday 1st of June 2021

    Finding my path among a crowd of cyclists on an April morning, the frosty weather reminds me that Stockholm lies at sixty degrees north. I am not surprised that most of the cyclists around me are women. But in fact, I should be shocked if I were to think in a historical and international context.

  • LGBTIQ people have been hit hard by COVID-19. Here’s how we can all help

    Tuesday 1st of June 2021

    “History has shown us that in times of crisis those most marginalized tend to suffer disproportionately compared to the broader population.”

  • Gender equality, sustainability and social justice: A roadmap for recovery

    Monday 31st of May 2021

    Women have been at the forefront of the world’s battle against COVID-19, as healthcare workers risking their lives, as scientists in teams that have developed vaccines at record speed, as carers in families and communities, setting up food banks and childcare cooperatives, and as political and public health leaders, steering us through the very worst of times.

  • The world urgently needs 900,000 more midwives, report says

    Monday 31st of May 2021

    An acute shortage of midwives is leading to a “terrible toll” in the form of preventable deaths, according to a new report.

  • How female founders and investors are shaking up venture capital

    Friday 28th of May 2021

    This is one of a series of articles written by Young Global Leaders with action-oriented ideas to improve the state of the world by 2030.

  • Women are essential to the economy – so let’s treat them that way

    Friday 28th of May 2021

    The coronavirus pandemic has revealed much about the nature of work in the world – and the important yet undervalued role of women in it.

  • How to hardwire gender parity in COVID-19 recovery efforts

    Wednesday 26th of May 2021

    The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reversed progress made towards achieving gender parity. At current trajectories, it will take 135.6 years to close the gender gap worldwide, predicts the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2021. Closing gender gaps in economic participation and opportunity are projected to take almost double the time at 267.6 years.

  • Sticky floors or glass ceilings? Understanding Europe’s gender gap

    Friday 21st of May 2021

    Despite changes in social norms and policy reforms over recent decades, gaps in hourly wages between similarly qualified women and men remain significant, ranging between 10% and 20% in most OECD countries (OECD 2018). The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has made the issue of addressing gender wage gaps even more pressing, as most of the increased household responsibilities fall to women, which may further reduce their earnings in the long term (Fabrizio et al. 2020, Queisser et al. 2020, Sun and Russell 2021).

  • Working and caring during UK lockdown: who bears the brunt?

    Thursday 20th of May 2021

    Globally, COVID-19 containment measures have resulted in the closure of many services, including schools, basic healthcare, and day-care facilities. More people are at home than ever due to pandemic-related measures and lockdowns, therefore, the need for housework and care has multiplied.

  • This UK campaign is working to close the politics gender gap

    Tuesday 11th of May 2021

    On the green benches inside London’s historic River Thames-side landmark, the Houses of Parliament, sit twice as many men as women.

  • One key to getting women back to work post-pandemic: Childcare

    Tuesday 11th of May 2021

    Wendy Niculescu is ready to get back to work after nearly a year and a half of being a stay-at-home mom.

  • Mothers have been some of the worst affected by COVID-19. Here’s how to help them

    Friday 7th of May 2021

    A year ago, the world changed. While the pandemic’s effect on workers has varied worldwide, the new reality has left many mothers scrambling. With schools and daycares closed, many were forced to leave their jobs or cut the hours they worked. New IMF estimates confirm the outsized impact on working mothers, and on the economy as a whole. In short, within the world of work, women with young children have been among the biggest casualties of the economic lockdowns.

  • Having a baby during COVID-19 gave me new respect for the job ‘mom’

    Friday 7th of May 2021

    I had a baby during the pandemic and everything changed.

  • Women are a mainstay of fishing in West Africa. But they get a raw deal

    Thursday 6th of May 2021

    Throughout West Africa, the artisanal fishing sector is a crucial source of livelihoods and food security. For instance, in Nigeria artisanal fishing accounts for 80% of the fish consumed and supports the livelihoods of about 24 million people.

  • COVID-19 has cost the world’s women $800 billion in lost income

    Tuesday 4th of May 2021

    The COVID-19 crisis cost women around the world $800 billion in lost income in 2020, Oxfam said, as it demanded steps to tackle gender inequality.

  • There a lack of female home ownership in Latin America – here’s how can we change this

    Tuesday 4th of May 2021

    For people in the developed world, a mortgage is a step toward owning a home. In developing countries, that dream is often elusive—especially for women.

  • What the EU is doing to foster human-centric AI

    Monday 3rd of May 2021

    Far from being science fiction, artificial intelligence is already part of our lives. From self-driving vehicles to virtual personal assistants, AI is a reality.

  • The European Super League could have been very problematic for women’s football – here’s why

    Wednesday 28th of April 2021

    Within 72 hours of announcement, the European Super League (ESL) was killed. It was a testament to the power of fans and a reminder that football isn’t just about the interest of owners but a game for all.

  • Why we need more girls in Africa in STEM – and how to get them there

    Tuesday 27th of April 2021

    Since moving to Southern Africa in 2019, I have had the great privilege of meeting many impressive women working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related fields. Among them is Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim, a globally renowned scientist at the forefront of research and innovation in HIV/AIDS, worldwide. Her work, through the Center for the Aids Program of Research in South Africa has not only shaped the global response to the HIV pandemic but contributed significantly to COVID-19 (coronavirus) research.

  • To unlock African women’s potential, we must end gendered patterns of labour

    Friday 23rd of April 2021

    • COVID-19 exposed persistent inequalities for women in the African workforce.

  • Women’s pain is routinely underestimated, and gender stereotypes are to blame – new research

    Thursday 15th of April 2021

    When a man consults a doctor about pain, he will hope to be taken seriously: to convince the doctor that the pain is real, and a problem that needs addressing. The experience is different for women, who may suspect that gender stereotypes could lead their doctor to conclude they’re not in as much pain as they say they are.

  • COVID-19 has harmed girls’ education. Here’s what needs to be done

    Thursday 15th of April 2021

    This article article was written by contributors following a webinar on 8 March and originally published by WISE.

  • What happens when women run the economy? We’re about to find out

    Wednesday 14th of April 2021

    Women now hold many of the jobs controlling the world’s largest economy – and they’re trying to fix it.

  • 8 charts that show the impact of race and gender on technology careers

    Tuesday 13th of April 2021

    Much work has been done to close gaps in gender and race equality in the tech industry, but a new report indicates there’s still more needed.

  • It will take another 136 years to close the global gender gap

    Monday 12th of April 2021

    Based on 2020 trends, the global gender gap was not expected to be closed for another 100 years. Already a mammoth prospect, but according to the latest WEF estimates for 2021, the world is now going backwards on this long road to gender equality. The time required is now forecast at 136 years. The main reason for this? Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director and Head of the WEF’s Centre for the New Economy and Society writes: “The Covid-19 pandemic has raised new barriers to building inclusive and prosperous economies and societies. Pre-existing gender gaps have amplified the crisis asymmetrically between men and women, even as women have been at the frontlines of managing the crisis as essential workers.”

  • Panama’s fight for a delayed right: women’s economic independence

    Tuesday 6th of April 2021

    • Panamanian women, like women around the world, have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Mobile creches are transforming the lives of women and children in Africa

    Thursday 1st of April 2021

    Childcare is a challenge for working mothers the world over. In developed nations it’s often the cost that is a barrier to women rejoining the workforce. But in other parts of the world, childcare for working mothers is virtually non-existent.

  • Three experts on why eradicating plastic pollution will help achieve gender equality

    Wednesday 31st of March 2021

    For decades, the forces that drive our global dependence on single-use plastics and our inability to keep plastic waste out of the environment have hit women and marginalized communities the hardest.

  • 7 of the most surprising facts about global gender gaps

    Wednesday 31st of March 2021

    Progress towards reaching gender parity has stopped – and in some cases reversed – due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2021.

  • 4 ‘big bets’ to close the post-pandemic gender gap

    Wednesday 31st of March 2021

    The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a terrible toll on progress towards gender equality. Many of the gains of recent years have been reversed. The length of time until women and men are truly equal has increased from 99.5 years to 135.6 years in the space of just twelve months.

  • These are the top 10 countries for women’s rights and opportunities

    Wednesday 31st of March 2021

    Iceland is the world’s best country for gender equality, topping a World Economic Forum index for the 12th year in a row.

  • The COVID-19 effect on the global gender gap: Measuring it is the first step towards closing it

    Wednesday 31st of March 2021

    Last year’s Global Gender Gap report offered insights into what drives the world’s gender pay gap. Among other factors, it showed the impact of the motherhood wage penalty and the fatherhood wage premium. It concluded, “an important step to closing the gender pay gap is the more equitable sharing of parental responsibilities between men and women.”

  • Closing the global gender gap – whose job is it anyway?

    Wednesday 31st of March 2021

    The release of the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap report every year is a reminder of how many centuries away we are from achieving gender parity – and women’s jobs are no exception. This year, the report says we are still 257.2 years away from closing the gender gap in “economic participation” and “opportunity”.

  • This is a watershed moment for gender equality: If companies act now

    Wednesday 31st of March 2021

    LinkedIn’s latest insights published in the Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report make for difficult reading.

  • 5 reasons why Switzerland’s gender gap is getting smaller

    Tuesday 30th of March 2021

    In the 2021 edition of the Global Gender Gap Report, Switzerland has climbed back up into the top 10 countries and has achieved the narrowest gender gap score in its history.

  • Why closing Japan’s gender gap will be achieved with equality from the top

    Tuesday 30th of March 2021

    The Global Gender Gap Report, published by the World Economic Forum, attracts significant attention each year. This year’s edition predicts that it will take 135.5 years to close the gender gap. The impact of the pandemic, in addition to the continuing challenges of gender parity in politics and economics, certainly did not help, adding 36 years to last year’s gap of 99.5 years.

  • COVID-19 is damaging the mental health of mothers. Here are 4 ways to help

    Tuesday 30th of March 2021

    As we pass the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 being declared a global pandemic, its impact on the mental health and well-being of children is undeniable. Indeed, news headlines on whether “the kids are alright” have frequently surfaced, bringing to light the immense challenges for kids, and their families, as they cope with ongoing changes during COVID-19, including online schooling and social distancing from friends.

  • Virtual Media Briefing on the Global Gender Gap Report 2021

    Tuesday 30th of March 2021

    The 15th edition of the Global Gender Gap Report has been released one year after COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic. Its index continues to benchmark the evolution of gender-based gaps and tracks countries’ progress towards closing them over time.

  • The boardroom still has a gender gap: Here’s what it looks like – and how to fix it

    Monday 29th of March 2021

    The rise of women on boards of directors worldwide

  • 4 ways the private sector can push for gender equality post-pandemic

    Friday 26th of March 2021

    • The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women’s economic participation.

  • It’s not lack of confidence that’s holding women back from careers in science and technology

    Monday 22nd of March 2021

    Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions are still heavily male-dominated. Across all sectors, just over one in four STEM workers are women.

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many challenges for mothers, but they’re nothing new

    Monday 22nd of March 2021

    The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges and obstacles for many Americans, but one group has been getting a lot of attention lately: moms. Much of the focus has been on the effects of school closings and child care responsibilities on mothers’ employment and labor force participation rates, with some suggesting the disruptions caused by the pandemic might have long-lasting consequences for gender equality in the workplace. In response, many prominent public figures have signed on to the Marshall Plan for Moms, which calls on Congress to recognize mothers’ unpaid labor at home through monthly stimulus checks alongside paid family leave, affordable child care and pay equity programs.

  • Since 2019, economies reformed the most in the areas of women’s pay and parenthood

    Tuesday 16th of March 2021

    Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, 27 economies in all regions and income groups enacted reforms to remove obstacles to women’s economic inclusion across all areas and increased good practices in legislation since 2019, according to the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2021. The greatest number of reforms introduced or amended laws affecting pay and parenthood.

  • These NASA female scientists are inspiring girls all over the planet

    Tuesday 9th of March 2021

    With “one of the coolest jobs in the world”, NASA rover operator Vandi Verma hopes women’s high profile in the latest Mars mission will inspire a new generation to pursue careers in a sector traditionally dominated by men.

  • 5 inspirational women with important lessons for success in business

    Monday 8th of March 2021

    Each year, International Women’s Day is a reminder of how far we still have to go to closing the gender gap and achieving gender parity.

  • ‘Shecession’: What COVID-19 has meant for women and work

    Monday 8th of March 2021

    The coronavirus pandemic reversed women’s workplace gains in many of the world’s wealthiest countries as the burden of childcare rose and female-dominated sectors shed jobs, according to research released on March 2nd.

  • How can we create space for more female leaders?

    Monday 8th of March 2021

    Shirley Chisholm, the first Black US Congresswoman once said: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

  • Breaking the glass vial: Women at the forefront of COVID-19 vaccine

    Monday 8th of March 2021

    While there is still a long way to go for women in global health to get the recognition, respect and relative conditions they deserve – at all levels and in all places – there are some notable breakthroughs. The world might be living the movie Contagion at present, but there is a serious flaw in the metaphor. The movie ends with a scientist using herself as a one sample test to show viability of a vaccine – while a male actor is making the policy and disbursement decisions. For some of us, identification of a potential vaccine is where it all begins. And as for distributing it, it isn’t one man calling the shots.

  • Japan’s mental health crisis shows we need to fight harder for gender equality

    Monday 8th of March 2021

    • The pandemic has caused the Japanese suicide rate to rise faster for women than men.

  • 3 ways to build equal workforces as COVID-19 dents women’s career prospects

    Monday 8th of March 2021

    International Women’s Day marks almost a full year from when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. And the data tells a clear story about the impact the pandemic has had for women’s careers. While the picture is challenging there are lessons we can, and must learn, from the last year.

  • 5 ways to improve gender equality at work

    Monday 8th of March 2021

    Despite efforts to improve gender equality in the workplace, women still earn considerably less than their male colleagues and remain under-represented at senior level. Indeed, the global pay gap between the sexes stood at 50% last year, according to the World Economic Forum.

  • Periods shouldn’t be a financial burden. Here’s how one retailer is helping

    Monday 8th of March 2021

    The average woman spends seven years of her life on her period. As women are hitting puberty earlier and earlier, due to an increase in obesity, chemical exposure and other factors, this number is only rising.

  • Investing in women is key to post-pandemic recovery

    Sunday 7th of March 2021

    Even before the full social and economic impacts of COVID-19 are realised, the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2020 showed just how much work there is still to do to achieve gender equality. That report suggested it would take a further 99.5 years to achieve gender parity, and research since has shown that fallout from the pandemic has adversely affected women even more.

  • Out with the old? Ageism, tokenism and other challenges in board diversity

    Friday 5th of March 2021

    • Major business organizations are now aligning behind boardroom diversity.

  • 3 steps the female digital revolution can’t succeed without 

    Friday 5th of March 2021

    • The pandemic is widening existing inequalities for women.

  • What’s the theme of International Women’s Day 2021?

    Thursday 4th of March 2021

    The crucial role played by women in the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is being celebrated this International Women’s Day (IWD).

  • 6 inspirational young female leaders

    Thursday 4th of March 2021

    International Women’s Month is dedicated to the social, economic, political, cultural and scientific achievements of women and girls. In my work with the World Economic Forum’s communities of Young Global Leaders and Global Shapers, I am inspired every day by amazing women in our network: young female leaders who are driving the call for equitable and sustainable food systems, de-stigmatising mental health in developing countries, curbing the pandemic in vulnerable communities, raising awareness of the impacts of fast fashion, and a civic engagement leader who has defied all the odds.

View more Gender posts
Back to Top