10 Countries With Very Surprising Women's Rights Rankings
Emma Clarke
Since 2006, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has published an annual report on gender inequality around the world. The Global Gender Gap Report (GGGR) ranks countries according to their scores in four categories: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. The GGGR generates a lot of commentary about which countries are the “best” and “worst” for women, but since the report is actually about inequality and not empowerment, this is not a correct interpretation. Countries where women are relatively well off internationally can receive very low scores if women’s rights and opportunities are less than those of their countrymen (emphasis on the men). Here are 10 countries whose 2011 rankings might surprise you.
10. Turkey (Ranked 122nd)
At number 122, Turkey ranks in the bottom 15 on the GGGR index. The report shows that Turkey has a very wide gender gap with regards to educational attainment and economic participation. This is surprising given the discussions (albeit at a standstill) about Turkey joining the European Union. In fact, a New York Times article cited Turkish experts who believe that “women’s progress is being undermined by Turkey’s flagging prospects for European Union membership.”
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