Social Watch realised 2012 Gender Equality Index
On the eve of International Women’s day, 8 March, Social Watch published the updated Gender Equity Index (GEI),
a measure to assess the achievements made by women in 154 countries towards equity with men.
According to the study, none of the 154 countries has improved the gender gap to an “acceptable” level and equity in women education is still far from allowing their increased contribution in economy or political power.
The GEI annually measures the gap between men and women in three dimensions: gender gap in enrolment at all levels, economic participation, including gaps in employment rates and gaps in income, empowerment, assessing gaps in highly qualified jobs, parliament and senior executive positions.
In every one of the 154 monitored by Social Watch researchers, women’s participation in the labour force is still significantly less compared to men. On average, women have lower salaries for the same kind of job and a higher percentage of women are employed in irregular or vulnerable jobs.
Most importantly, the reports states that the large gender gaps cannot be justified by a lack of resources, ass any country can narrow gender gap through adequate policies regardless of income levels.
In fact, countries where many people live in poverty, such as Mongolia, Rwanda, Philippines, and Nicaragua, have obtained positive results and relatively high levels of gender equality.
For more information see: www.socialwatch.org
Francesca Ghersenti (IDW). 12 March 2012.