In celebration of International Women’s Day, The Economist has unveiled its annual glass-ceiling index, assessing working conditions for women across 29 OECD nations. The evaluation involved ten crucial metrics such as higher education access, GMAT exams taken by women, labour force participation rates, and the presence of women in leadership and managerial roles.
Surprisingly, the United States secured a modest 19th place, trailing behind the OECD average on many fronts, as noted by Lizzy Peet, a researcher at The Economist. She expressed her disappointment, remarking, “It’s obviously not great, particularly for such a wealthy and important country. It really should be kind of doing better.”
A significant factor impacting the U.S. ranking is the absence of federally mandated parental leave, a policy that no other OECD country lacks. Peet points out, “Not having mandated parental leave forces a lot of women out of the labour force,” contributing to the persistent gender pay gap and insufficient female representation in corporate leadership.
Meanwhile, Nordic countries shine brightly in the glass-ceiling index, with Sweden claiming the top spot, ending Iceland’s two-year reign. Sweden showcases exemplary performance with women earning 7.3% less than men, a figure below the OECD’s 11.4% average, and boasts 43.7% of managerial roles held by women.
In terms of political representation, 46.7% of government positions are occupied by women in Sweden, significantly surpassing the U.S.’s below-average figure of 28.7%. Peet highlights, “The fact that [almost] 44% of managerial roles in companies are held by women links the reason why the gender gap is smaller.” Sweden’s consistent commitment to gender parity has seen it maintain top 10 rankings since the World Economic Forum’s reports debuted in 2006.
Occupying the coveted title of the best place for working women, Sweden demonstrates a proactive approach, having transitioned from gender-specific maternity leave to inclusive, gender-neutral leave schemes. Following Sweden in the ranking, Iceland, Finland, Norway, and several others make the list of top ten countries, indicating a strong global movement towards gender equality in the workplace.
Both Sweden and Iceland lead the way in advocating for women’s rights; however, Iceland experienced a slight reduction in the percentage of women in management roles, contributing to its drop in ranking. Peet elaborates, “The fact that it went down a few percentage points would have hurt its standing in the ranking, but overall, it does really well on a lot of indications, especially compared to the U.S.”
In summary, as women continue to fight for equality and representation in the workplace, the rankings reflect an essential shift towards improvements in policies and perceptions surrounding women’s rights globally, particularly in Nordic countries.
On International Women’s Day, The Economist released its glass-ceiling index ranking the top 10 countries for working women. Notably, the U.S. ranked 19th, lagging in key metrics like parental leave and gender pay equality. Sweden topped the list, followed closely by Iceland and other Nordic nations, which prioritise women’s education and employment. The findings underscore the need for the U.S. to enhance its policies to better support working women.
The glass-ceiling index by The Economist emphasizes the discrepancies in working conditions for women across OECD countries, with notable gaps in the U.S. relative to its wealth. Sweden leads the index, showcasing advancements in gender equality through targeted policies. As nations like Sweden and Iceland continue to set high standards for women’s workplace equality, the U.S. has much to learn and improve to foster a more inclusive environment for women in the workforce.
Original Source: www.cnbc.com
