http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5683874&fSectionId=552&fSetId=662

South Africa slipped six positions on the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index to twelfth position from sixth last year, but still remains one of the top 20 gender equal countries in the world.

“In South Africa, high numbers of women in parliament and ministerial level positions, combined with narrow gaps in education, contribute to South Africa’s top 20 position,” said Samantha Tomkin, WEF Associate Director.

The highest scoring African country is Lesotho at number eight.

“Lesotho has a high level of female participation in the labour force and female literacy, with more girls than boys enrolled in primary and secondary education,” said Tomkin.

However levels of healthy life expectancy remain low for both women and men in Lesotho.

The Global Gender Gap Report index assesses 134 countries on how well they divide resources and opportunities among male and female populations, regardless of the overall levels of these resources.

There are four main focus areas, economic participation and opportunity, education attainment, political empowerment and health and survival.

“We have found that gaps are closing between women and men’s health and education – in fact, current data show that in the 134 countries covered, 96 percent of health gaps and 93 percent of education gaps have been closed.” said co-author Ricardo Hausmann, Director of the Centre for International Development at Harvard University, USA.

However, Hausmann added that only 60 percent of economic participation gaps have been closed.

Hausmann says that progress will be made when countries find a way to make marriage and motherhood compatible with the economic participation of women.

Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden – in that order from first to fourth position – continue to demonstrate the greatest equality between men and women.

The USA entered the top 20 for the first time this year; it climbed twelve places to nineteenth position.

Ireland (6), Switzerland (10), Spain (11), Germany (13) and the United Kingdom (15) are among the European countries dominating the top 20.

According to the report’s index, the level of gender equality in France (46) has sunk with a fall in the number of women in ministerial positions over the past 12 months. – I-Net Bridge