A world in retreat.
The overall message of the fifteenth edition of the World Economic Forum's report on gender inequalities (WEF, the organizer of the Davos Forum) is not encouraging.
On average, out of the 153 countries studied last year (three new ones were added in 2021 bringing the total to 156), the measured gaps widened by 0.6 points.
Among the 153 countries, 98 saw their score improve.
But in 55 countries, gender inequalities have widened.
Even if more States have improved their situation, weighted by the weight of the population, the general score is down.
To strike people's minds, the report's authors say that at the rate observed in recent years, it would take more than 135 years to fully narrow the gaps.
Read also: Covid-19 crisis: the professional situation of women has deteriorated and should not improve
The explanation for this global degradation is linked to the Covid pandemic.
The sectors most affected by lockdowns are those that employ the most women.
The crisis has therefore weakened them more than men.
The economic situation is not, however, the only criterion used to measure the index.
The WEF is composed around four main themes: economic opportunities, education, health and place in politics.
One in five ministers is a woman
It is in the political domain that the gap, on a global scale, remains the widest.
Measured at 22% (100% representing perfect equality), the difference to be made up was accentuated in 2020 by 2.4 points.
In the 156 countries, women represent only a quarter (26.1%) of the 35,500 parliamentarians, and a fifth (22%) of the 3,400 ministers.
In the economic sphere, 58% of the gap has been closed, according to the terminology of the report.
And if the pace of inequality reduction does not accelerate, the WEF estimates that it will take more than ... two and a half centuries to close the global wage and career gap.
A gulf all the more unjustifiable as in the field of education, 95% of the differences are erased.
Iceland, the most egalitarian
How do countries compare to each other?
Iceland, like last year, is the most equal (score of 89.2) ahead of Finland, Norway and New Zealand embodied by its popular young prime minister Jacinda Ardern.
Unsurprisingly, the Nordic countries are all well ranked.
At the other extreme, Afghanistan, which joined the rankings this year, comes in 156th.
It is located after Yemen ravaged by civil war, Iraq, Pakistan and Syria crushed by ten years of conflict.
Regionally, the Middle East and North Africa score the worst (60.9).
Note, the United Arab Emirates are among the states that have recorded the most progress in a year, such as Serbia and Togo, notes this 400-page report.
France behind Madagascar
And France?
Her score on the four themes (78.4) places her in 16th place.
It ranks 20th in terms of political criteria.
But if we look at salaries and careers, the country that displays equality in its national currency is only 58th, admittedly with very low score differences, but still behind countries like Madagascar or the Sierra Leone according to the figures of the WEF.
There is still a long way to go, across the globe, to close the gaps.
“
We hope that this report will serve as a call to action for leaders to place the reduction of gender inequalities at the heart of post-pandemic recovery
,” concludes Saadia Zahidi, Executive Director of WEF.