cover.final 1/18/10 9:55 PM Page 1 The The Global Gender Gap Report Global Gender Gap Report The World Economic Forum is an independent interna- Ricardo Hausmann, Harvard University 2009 tional organization committed to improving the state of Laura D. Tyson, University of California, Berkeley the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape Saadia Zahidi, World Economic Forum global, regional and industry agendas. Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, 2009 the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. www.weforum.org part1.correx 1/18/10 11:50 AM Page i World Economic Forum Geneva, Switzerland 2009 The Global Gender Gap Report 2009 Ricardo Hausmann, Harvard University Laura D. Tyson, University of California, Berkeley Saadia Zahidi, World Economic Forum part1.correx 1/18/10 11:50 AM Page ii The Global Gender Gap Report 2009 is World Economic Forum published by the World Economic Forum. 91-93 route de la Capite The Gender Gap Index 2009 is the result of CH-1223 Cologny/Geneva collaboration with faculty at Harvard University Switzerland and University of California, Berkeley. Tel.: +41 (0)22 869 1212 Fax: +41 (0)22 786 2744 E-mail: [email protected] AT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM www.weforum.org Professor Klaus Schwab © 2009 World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman All rights reserved. Saadia Zahidi Director and Head of Constituents No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, Damaris Papoutsakis including photocopying and recording, or by Project Associate for Women Leaders & Gender any information storage and retrieval system. Parity Programme Ref: 112007 Yasmina Bekhouche Project Associate for Women Leaders & Gender ISBN-10: 92-95044-28-2 Parity Programme ISBN-113: 978-92-95044-28-9 AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY Professor Ricardo Hausmann Director, Center for International Development AT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY Professor Laura D. Tyson Professor of Business Administration and Economics Thank you to Hope Steele for her superb copyediting work and Neil Weinberg for his excellent graphic design and layout. We are very grateful to Kamal Kamaoui and the World Economic Forum’s Publications team for their invaluable collaboration on the production of this Report. In addition we offer a special thank you to Miguel Perez at the World Economic Forum for his vital contribution to programming related to index calculations and country profiles. We would also like to thank Sabrina Roshan for her research during her internship with the World Economic Forum. The terms country and nation as used in this report do not in all cases refer to a territorial entity that is a state as understood by international law and practice. The term covers well-defined, geographically self-contained economic areas that may not be states but for which statistical data are maintained on a separate and independent basis. part1.correx 1/18/10 11:50 AM Page iii Contents Preface.........................................................................................................v by Klaus Schwab PART 1: MEASURING THE GLOBAL GENDER GAP 1 The Global Gender Gap Index 2009......................................3 by Ricardo Hausmann, Harvard University Laura D. Tyson, University of California, Berkeley Saadia Zahidi, World Economic Forum Appendix A: A Historical Perspective ...............................................32 Appendix B: Regional Classifications ...............................................34 Appendix C: Dynamics of the Gender Gap........................................35 Appendix D: Girls and Education ........................................................39 Appendix E: Maternal Health and Mortality.....................................47 PART 2: COUNTRY PROFILES 51 List of Countries .....................................................................53 User’s Guide: How Country Profiles Work........................55 by Damaris Papoutsakis Country Profiles......................................................................58 About the Authors .................................................................................193 Acknowledgements..............................................................................195 part1.correx 1/18/10 11:50 AM Page iv part1.correx 1/18/10 11:50 AM Page v Preface KLAUS SCHWAB Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum Over the last year, the world has seen the biggest recession in providing a comprehensive framework for benchmarking almost a century. It is clear that recovery will require, among global gender gaps, the Report reveals those countries that other things, the best of talent, ideas and innovation. It is are role models in dividing resources equitably between therefore more important now than ever before for coun- women and men, regardless of their level of resources. tries and companies to pay heed to one of the fundamental The World Economic Forum places a strong emphasis on cornerstones of economic growth available to them—the a multi-stakeholder approach in order to engage leaders skills and talent of their female human resource pool.As to design the most effective measures for tackling global consumers, voters, employees and employers, women will challenges. In 2008, we launched our Global Gender be integral to global economic recovery. However, it is not Parity Group and Regional Gender Parity Groups in only the financial and economic system that is in need of Latin America, the Middle East,Africa and Asia.To date, rethinking, redesigning and rebuilding. Global challenges these multi-stakeholder communities of highly influential such as climate change, food security, conflict, education leaders—50% women and 50% men—from business, poli- and health require our immediate, collective efforts to find tics, academia, media and civil society have jointly identi- solutions and will, in fact, be intimately linked to our fied the biggest gaps in each region, based in part on the long-term global economic recovery. Girls and women findings of this Report, and have collectively committed to make up one half of the world’s population—without strategies to improve the use of female talent. In addition, their engagement, empowerment and contribution, we our Global Agenda Council on the Gender Gap, an expert cannot hope to effectively meet these challenges nor council, is using the findings of this Report as one of the achieve rapid economic recovery. inputs for developing proposals to address gaps in interna- And yet, there is still much work to be done in tional cooperation towards gender equality. Each of the education, health, the workplace, legislation and politics individuals and organizations represented in these commu- before women around the globe enjoy the same opportu- nities work collectively towards empowering women, nities as men.There are still millions of “missing” women developing globally replicable frameworks and bringing each year because of the preference for sons in some parts the world ever closer to achieving gender parity. of the world.There are too many female infants who do We would like to express our deep appreciation to not receive adequate access to healthcare because of the Ricardo Hausmann, Director, Center for International lower value placed on girls, adding to the global burden Development, Harvard University; Laura D.Tyson,Professor of infant mortality. Girls are still missing out on primary of Business Administration and Economics, University of and secondary education in far greater numbers than boys, California, Berkeley, USA; and Saadia Zahidi, Director, thus depriving entire families, communities and economies Constituents, for their invaluable contribution to this of the proven and positive multiplier effects generated by Report. We would also like to thank Damaris Papoutsakis girls’ education and instead aggravating poverty, the spread and Yasmina Bekhouche for their excellent research assis- of HIV/AIDS, and maternal and infant mortality. In those tance on this project at the World Economic Forum. countries where women do indeed receive the benefits From a values and social justice perspective, empower- of health and education, far too many are then unable to ing women and providing them with equal rights and contribute fully and productively to the economy because opportunities for fulfilling their potential is long overdue. of barriers to their entry into the workforce or barriers From a business, economic and competitiveness viewpoint, to accessing positions of leadership. Finally, women still targeting gender parity is a necessary condition for remain vastly under-represented in political leadership progress.The aim is thus to achieve parity of participation and decision-making.The combined impact of these gaps and opportunity while facilitating diversity of thoughts, entails colossal losses to the global society and economy. opinions and approaches. It is our hope that this Report will Measuring the size of the problem is a prerequisite for serve to highlight the countries that have made continued, identifying the best solutions.Through the Global Gender often remarkable, progress over the last year in closing the Gap Reports, for the past four years, the World Economic distance to parity and will act as an urgent call for action Forum has been quantifying the magnitude of gender- towards the work that still needs to be done elsewhere to based disparities and tracking their