The World Economic Forum recently came out with their 5th annual Global Gender Gap Report for 2010, which, according to Time magazine (Oct 25th issues), ranks 134 countries on “a percentage-based metric that calculates how much they have closed their gender gaps in education, politics, health and economic opportunity.” The good news, according to the report’s preface: “We are at a unique turning point in history. Never before has there been such momentum around the issue of gender parity on the global stage.” The bad news: While the United States climbed 12 spots to number 19, it’s still not in the top 10, let alone the top 5 (notice it’s mostly men who chant “We’re #1!” about the U.S?). The Philippines, Sri Lanka and even Latvia beat us. (The top five are Iceland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and New Zealand.) Oh, and while you’ve got to be grateful and hopeful that research like this is even being done to help make a difference, let’s not forget what the fight for gender equality is up against: Watch this amazing Ted Talk by Sheryl WuDunn called “Our Century’s Greatest Injustice” about the vast oppression of women globally.
