World Economic Forum published its latest report on Gender Equality Gap in the beginning of November 2017. World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report was first published in 2006. According to the latest report, it is estimated that it will take 217 years to close the gap at the current rate of ‘progress’. Data on 144 countries was taken into consideration in the preparation of the latest report. Iceland, Norway, Finland, Rwanda, Sweden, Nicaragua, Slovenia, Ireland, New Zealand and Philippines ranked from the 1st to 10th position respectively.

The Global Gender Gap Index examines the gap between men and women in four fundamental categories (sub-indexes): Economic participation and opportunity; educational attainment; health and survival; and political empowerment.

For measuring the gap in economic participation and opportunity, female labour force participation over male value, wage equality between women and men for similar work, female estimated earned income over male value, female legislators, senior officials and managers over male value and female professional and technical workers over male value were included.

For measuring the gap in educational attainment, female literacy rate over male value, female net primary enrolment rate over male value, female net secondary enrolment rate over male value and female gross tertiary enrolment ratio over male value were included.

For measuring the gap in health and survival sex ratio at birth (female-over-male ratio) and female healthy life expectancy over male value were included.

For measuring the gap in political empowerment, females with seats in parliament over male value, females at ministerial level over male value and number of years with a female head of state (last 50 years) over male value were included.

Turkey ranked on the 131st position (with a score of 0.625) among 144 countries. In the Middle East and North Africa region, Israel (44), Tunisia (117), United Arab Emirates (120), Bahrain (126), Algeria (127), Kuwait (129), Qatar (130) ranked in better positions than Turkey.

The scores and the rankings of Turkey in each sub-category in the first report in 2006 and in the latest report in 2017 are shown in the table below comparatively: 

Source: The Global Gender Gap Report 2017, p. 324.

World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2017