Bangladesh leads South Asia in the gender equity, successful compared to its neighbouring countries in closing the gender gap, a report says.
The country stands 72 among 144 countries in the world in the Global Gender Gap Index 2016 prepared by World Economic Forum.
Bangladesh recorded progress in political empowerment gender gap, but the gap on women’s labour force participation and estimated earned income widened, the report says.
India, which stands 87 in the index, follows Bangladesh. The two leaders are chronologically followed by Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan and Pakistan.
The report found the US fell from 28th place last year to 45th when it came to closing the gap. The WEF said that’s primarily due to a more transparent measure for estimated earned income.
Iceland ranked the number 1 country in the Global Gender Gap Index.
Through the Global Gender Gap Report, the World Economic Forum quantifies the magnitude of gender disparities and tracks their progress over time, with a specific focus on the relative gaps between women and men across four key areas: health, education, economy and politics.
The 2016 Report covers 144 countries. More than a decade of data has revealed that progress is still too slow for realizing the full potential of one half of humanity within our lifetimes.
