The Global Gender Gap Index Report 2023 - A Summary

Helene de Taeye

May 16, 20243 min read

Overview of the Global Gender Gap Index

The Global Gender Gap Index benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions:

Economic Participation and Opportunity
Educational Attainment
Health and Survival
Political Empowerment

This index, established in 2006, tracks the progress of numerous countries' efforts toward closing gender gaps over time.
The 17th edition in 2023 covers 146 countries, with 102 countries included consistently since 2006 for time-series analysis.
Scores are measured on a 0 to 100 scale, representing the percentage of the gender gap that has been closed.

Key Findings for 2023

Global Parity Score:

In 2023, the global gender gap is 68.4% closed.
Among 145 countries compared from 2022 to 2023, the score improved by 0.3 percentage points from 68.1% to 68.4%.
For the 102 countries consistently covered since 2006, the gap is 68.6% closed in 2023, up by 4.1 percentage points since the first report.
At the current rate, it will take 131 years to achieve full gender parity.

Top-Performing Countries:

No country has achieved full gender parity.
Top countries with over 80% parity include Iceland, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Germany, Nicaragua, Namibia, and Lithuania.
Iceland remains the leader with 91.2% parity, the only country to have closed over 90% of its gender gap.

Subindex Scores:

Health and Survival: 96% closed
Educational Attainment: 95.2% closed
Economic Participation and Opportunity: 60.1% closed
Political Empowerment: 22.1% closed

Advancement and Regression:
Educational Attainment improved to 96.1% from 95.3% in 2022.
Health and Survival improved slightly from 95.7% to 95.9%.
Political Empowerment increased marginally from 22.4% to 22.5%.
Economic Participation and Opportunity regressed slightly from 60.0% in 2022 to 59.8% in 2023.

Regional Results

Europe: Highest parity at 76.3%, with top countries including Iceland, Norway, and Finland.
Projected to achieve full parity in 67 years.
North America: 75% parity, with declines noted in both the US and Canada.
Projected to achieve full parity in 95 years.
Latin America and the Caribbean: 74.3% parity, projected to achieve full parity in 53 years.
Eurasia and Central Asia: 69% parity, projected to achieve full parity in 167 years.
East Asia and the Pacific: 68.8% parity, projected to achieve full parity in 189 years.
Sub-Saharan Africa: 68.2% parity, projected to achieve full parity in 102 years.
Southern Asia: 63.4% parity, projected to achieve full parity in 149 years.
Middle East and North Africa: Lowest parity at 62.6%, projected to achieve full parity in 152 years.

Labour Market and Future Trends

Global Labour Market Participation:

Women's participation has slightly recovered, with parity in labor-force participation increasing from 63% to 64%.
Women's representation in leadership remains lower than in the workforce overall, with significant disparities in senior roles.

STEM Occupations:

Women are significantly underrepresented in STEM fields, making up only 29.2% of STEM workers.
There is a drop in female representation in high-level leadership roles within STEM.

Political Leadership:

As of December 2022, 27.9% of the global population lived in countries with a female head of state.
Women's representation in parliaments and local governments has improved but remains uneven globally.

Key Challenges and Opportunities

Retention of Female Talent:

High turnover rates among women directors highlight the need for retention-focused initiatives.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Programs:

Over two-thirds of surveyed organizations have implemented DEI programs, with 79% focusing on women.

Future Actions:

Achieving gender parity in leadership across business and government is crucial for addressing broader gender gaps.
Coordinated actions by public and private sectors are essential to accelerate progress towards gender parity.

The 2023 Global Gender Gap Report highlights both progress and persistent challenges in achieving gender parity across various dimensions. Despite improvements, the report indicates that it will take 131 years to reach full gender parity at the current rate of progress. One notable finding is that while the Educational Attainment and Health and Survival gaps are nearing closure, significant gaps remain in Economic Participation and Opportunity, and Political Empowerment.

Discussion

Given the slow progress in closing the Economic Participation and Opportunity gap, what are the most effective strategies that organizations and governments can implement to accelerate gender parity in the workplace? Additionally, how can we ensure these strategies are inclusive and address the unique challenges faced by women in different regions and industries? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!