Gender equity: Bangladesh top in South Asia

Bangladesh ranked 72nd among 144 countries in the world, according to the Global Gender Gap Index 2016 presented by the World Economic Forum on Tuesday, making it the leading South Asian nation in gender equity.

However, there is a widening of the gap on women’s labour force participation and estimated earned income.

While Iceland is still at the top spot for eight consecutive years, India stands 87th in the index, following Bangladesh, chronologically followed by Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan and Pakistan in South Asia. The United States, on the other hand, fell from 28th place last year to 45th. The WEF asserted that its primarily due to a more transparent measure for estimated earned income.

The report captures progress towards parity between men and women in four areas: educational attainment, health and survival, economic opportunity and political empowerment.

More than a decade of data has revealed that progress is still too slow for realizing the full potential of one half of humanity within our lifetimes.

Source: Bangladesh leads South Asia in gender equity