According to the World Economic Forum ‘Global Gender Gap Report’, the UK has slipped down the global gender equality ranking.
In 2019, the UK ranked 21st in the WEF global index – having fallen from 16th in 2018. Progress towards gender parity is measured by four key areas: economic participation and opportunity; educational attainment; health and survival and political empowerment.
With a score of one equalling gender parity, Iceland was top with a score of 0.877 - followed by Norway, Finland and Sweden. Seventh in the ranking is Ireland with a score of 0.724, which is up two places from last year. The UK came behind rich countries, including Germany, New Zealand and Canada and also less developed countries, such as the Philippines, Nicaragua and Namibia.
Employment experts have called for tougher rules to deal with discrimination in the workplace, for more flexible working opportunities to be offered to staff and for businesses to be more proactive in addressing the problems of gender inequality.
The report attributes the causes of the economic gender gap to include low levels of women in managerial or leadership positions; wage stagnation; labour force participation and income. The highest representation was in roles hit hardest by automation with too few women entering tech-driven professions and the lack of care infrastructure and access to capital limiting opportunities for women.
Klaus Schwab - World Economic Forum Executive Chairman - said:
“Supporting gender parity is critical to ensuring strong, cohesive and resilient societies around the world. For business, too, diversity will be an essential element to demonstrate that stakeholder capitalism is the guiding principle. This is why the World Economic Forum is working with business and government stakeholders to accelerate efforts to close the gender gap.”
The report - which was compiled before the general election - also cited poor political representation for women as one reason for the UK’s lower ranking.
Dr Jill Miller - Diversity and Inclusion Adviser at the CIPD - stated that the UK was making progress in gender equality, but report results show that the progress is too slow.
“The thought that future generations will still be having the same dialogue as we’re having now is unacceptable.”
She added that the insufficient care infrastructure; lack of affordable childcare; the introduction of a week’s statutory paid carers and a reform of parental leave policies to offer more choice over how parents distribute caring responsibilities, were highlighted by the report and said:
“Business can have a significant impact on wider issues such as occupational segregation – especially in future skills sectors – as well as looking at whether their own people management practices are fair and inclusive to ensure women can reach their potential and rise to the top ranks.”
Experts call for tougher workplace regulations on discrimination, saying that poor results should be a ‘big wake-up call’ for the government.
Sam Smethers - Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society - also called for stronger employment regulations to tackle discrimination, stating that if they suspect they are being discriminated against, women need to be given the right to know what a male colleague is earning. She said:
“We need a strategy for gender equality that addresses intersectional inequality, recognising that women of colour are doubly disadvantaged, tackles the underlying causes of the gap and removes the barriers to women’s economic and political participation. The fact that the UK has slipped down the international league tables and it will take generations to close the gender pay gap should act as a big wake-up call for the government.”
