The Global Gender Gap Report

The Global Gender Gap Report 2008 will be released on 12 November

Last year, Sweden (1), Norway (2), Finland (3) and Iceland (4) topped the rankings in the Global Gender Gap Report 2007. All countries in the top 20 made progress relative to their scores last year – some more so than others. Latvia (13) and Lithuania (14) made the biggest advances among the top 20, gaining six and seven places respectively, driven by smaller gender gaps in labour force participation and wages. The Report covers a total of 128 countries, representing over 90% of the world’s population.

Click on the links in the right hand column to learn more about the Report 2007; the rankings (PDF I Excel); country profiles; photos and the press release.

View interviews of the Report co-authors:

Saadia Zahidi Associate Director and Head, Women Leaders' Programme, World Economic Forum January 2008 - 2min 08sec

Laura Tyson Professor of Business Administration and Economics, University of California, Berkeley 9 November 2007 - 4min 49sec

Saadia Zahidi Associate Director and Head, Women Leaders' Programme, World Economic Forum November 2007 - 2min 30sec

Ricardo Hausmann Director, Centre for International Development, Harvard University  November 2007 - 2min 57sec

Global Gender Gap Report 2007 Presentation 9 November 2007 - 21min 09sec

Global Gender Gap Report 2007 Panel Discussion 9 November 2007 - 28min 57sec

Gender Gap Heatmaps
 2007 Heatmap
 Economic
 Education
 Political
 Health & survival

The Report 2007 was supported by Women Leaders Programme Partners:
Carlson Companies
Ernst & Young
Goldman Sachs
Manpower
McKinsey & Company
Nike
NYSE Euronext

The Report examines four critical areas of inequality between men and women:
1. Economic participation and opportunity – outcomes on salaries, participation levels and access to high-skilled employment
2. Educational attainment – outcomes on access to basic and higher level education
3. Political empowerment – outcomes on representation in decision-making structures
4. Health and survival – outcomes on life expectancy and sex ratio

The Gender Gap Index assesses countries on how well they are dividing their resources and opportunities among their male and female populations, regardless of the overall levels of these resources and opportunities. By providing a comprehensible framework for assessing and comparing global gender gaps and by revealing those countries that are role models in dividing these resources equitably between women and men, serves as a catalyst for greater awareness as well as greater exchange between policymakers.