Pakistan ranks 151 on Global Gender Gap Index: WEF report

Pakistan ranks third-to-last, at number 151, on the 2020 Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) The country has managed to reduce the gender gap by 56 per cent, said World Economic Forum (WEF) in its report.

Iceland ranks at the top of the list followed by Norway and Finland.

“This performance represents an improvement from the previous edition, but it is insufficient to prevent Pakistan from falling in the rankings, as new countries have entered the rankings at a higher position,” the report stated.



Pakistan ranks in the bottom 10 in three of the four main categories of the index and below the 100th mark in 12 of the 14 individual indicators composing the index, the report added.

However, Pakistan improved on some indices and was marked stable in others. The gap remains cavernous in terms of economic participation and opportunities.

Encouragingly, however, Pakistan improved on a majority of indicators.

PHOTO: World Economic Forum

The report further stated that only one-quarter of women participate in the labour force i.e. working or looking to work compared with 85 per cent of men.

“Only 5 per cent of senior and leadership roles are held by women (146th), twice the rate of 2016. It is estimated that only 18 per cent of Pakistan’s labour income goes to women (148th), one of the lowest share among countries studied.”

While the majority of countries have bridged or nearly bridged the educational gender gap, Pakistan’s still stands at almost 20 per cent.



“Less than half of women are literate, compared with 71 per cent of men, while the share of women enrolled is systematically lower than the share of men across primary, secondary and tertiary education,” read WEF’s report.

Pakistan further ranked 93^rd on the political gender gap. As of January 2019, there are three women in the 25-member cabinet.