The report ranks 136 countries on their ability to close the gender gap – making sure

women are not held back – in four key areas: health and survival, education, politics
and economic equality.

1. Iceland holds the top spot for the fifth consecutive year, continuing to
boast the narrowest gender gap in the world. Iceland’s overall score
moves up due to improvements in economic participation and
opportunity, as well as political empowerment.
2. Finland continues to hold the second position despite slight losses in its
overall score due to a decrease in economic opportunity and
participation.
3. Norway follows next, with a light increase in its overall score. Norway
has just appointed a female prime minister, Erna Solberg, and is also
one of the top 10 countries for the number of years during which it has
had a female head of state.
4. Sweden continues to hold the fourth position. Although no country has
yet achieved gender equality, all of the Nordic countries, with the
exception of Denmark, have closed over 80% of the gender gap. On the
whole, these economies have made it possible for parents to combine
work and family, resulting in more women in the workforce, shared
childcare and a better work-life balance for both women and men.
5. The Philippines moves up three places this year due to small
improvements in economic participation and opportunity. The highest-
ranking country from Asia, Philippines is 10th overall for political
empowerment and is the only country in Asia and the Pacific to have
fully closed the gender gap in both education and health.
6. Ireland slipped one place this year due to losses in economic
participation and opportunity, though it remains the highest European
country outside the group of Nordic economies.
7. New Zealand moved down one place, mainly due to a decrease in
wages women are paid for doing similar work to men.
8. Denmark lost one place in the overall ranking this year despite an
improvement in political empowerment.
9. Switzerland moved up one spot due to increases in women’s salaries.
10. Nicaragua continues to be the only country from Latin America
and the Caribbean in the top 10 overall best performers.
According to an online article in Times Higher Education, the most egalitarian societies existing
today include Japan, Sweden, Norway and Finland. In these societies, the principles of
Egalitarianism are demonstrated economically, through low incidences of poverty, and socially,
in that all citizens are given access to resources and treated equally.

T is important to note that the ideals of many different political doctrines are founded on
Egalitarian principles of the fairness and equality of all citizens. The political ideologies of
socialism, Marxism, communism and the modern democracy found in the United States all are
based on the inherent equality of individuals and are therefore egalitarian to some degree. In
practice however, much of the power and influence in societies still resides with an upper or
ruling class, as opposed to the general public.
Countries that considers a woman as a second class and examples

Many people look at society today - when women are more prosperous,
more empowered, and more driven than ever to make change - and say
'look how far we've come'.

But the equality movement's accelerating success should not obscure

the fact that there is much still to be done.

Intimate violence
Percentage of adults 16-59 who have experienced intimate violence

Domestic Abuse: More than million UK women suffering

It's travesty that so many people, of both sexes, suffer physically and
sexually at the hands of loved ones.

As has long been the case, women remain the primary victims of all
sorts — but particularly sexually driven attacks.

Reported rapes in India

Rape: It might even be getting worse

Last year a light was shined on the problem of rape around the world,
from the Yazidi sex slaves of Isis to the college campus rape
controversies in the United States.

India, now notorious for sex crimes following a series of highly-publicised

gang rapes a couple of years ago, shows the extent of the problem and
suggests that increased awareness leads to increased reporting and,
perhaps ultimately, improved response.
Female Genital Mutilation

The horrors of FGM extend to the UK, with the NHS estimating that over
20,000 girls under the age of 15 have been violently circumcised in this
country.

The practice - designed to control women's sexuality - is particularly

prevalent in Africa.

The statistics provided by Unicef (and used in the above graph) show
many millions of girls have experienced it, and what's more: many of the
women in these countries think it should continue.

Abortion Clinic Closures: The US is going backwards

In four states only one abortion clinic remains, following a three year
period in which a record number of facilities were closed.

The liberal-conservative conflict is no longer a hot topic on the national

stage, but activists have developed a canny way of stifling the landmark
Roe vs Wade abortion-legalising ruling.

State government have increased the number of restrictions, quietly

killing one of the women's rights movements great victories.

Pay Gap: A problem all around Europe

Society is struggling with all sorts of financial equality, and the gender
pay gap hasn't gone away at all — and UN estimates say it won't for
another 70 years.

A new UK law will require large companies to disclose the differences in

average pay so we'll get a better sense of the problem.
The above graph shows the UK, with a pay gap of 19.1 per cent is
among Europe's worst offenders.

This issue has momentum right now following the charged speech of
Oscar-winning actress Patricia Arquette, who demanded for equal pay.