Hey there, folks! It’s women’s history  month and we are attacking inequality! In order to get our bearings in the fight we have to be able to look at where the inequality is and understand the data points generated around it which brings us to the Global Gender Gap Index! In the grand global scheme, a stark reality persists–gender equality, while inching forward, still has some work to do! Let’s break down the nitty-gritty of the 17th edition of the Global Gender Gap Index in simpler terms.

The Global Gender Gap Index is like a giant scoreboard, assessing the performance of various countries in terms of gender equality across 146 nations. It evaluates four key dimensions–Economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment–using a 100 point scale. On it, a 100 signifies perfect equality between genders, while a score of 0 indicates no equality. The Global Gender Gap Index is the longest-standing index tracking the progress of numerous countries’ efforts towards closing these gaps over time since its inception in 2006.

The score for gender equality in 2023 is 68.4%, which is an improvement of 0.3 percentage points from last year. Not too shabby, but here’s the kicker: at the current pace, it will take 131 years to reach full equality. Yikes!

Now, who’s acing the gender equality game? Well, no country has hit a perfect 100 yet, but Iceland, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Germany, Nicaragua, Namibia, and Lithuania are rocking it, having closed at least 80% of their gender gap. Iceland, in particular, is the rockstar, closing more than 90% of its gender gap for the 14th year straight.

But here’s the not-so-great part: the rate of progress has slowed down significantly globally, and some regions are moving slower than others. Europe is leading the pack with 76.3% gender parity, while the Middle East and North Africa are trailing at 62.6%. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.

The big takeaway? We’re making progress, but it’s slow. So, what can you do? Advocate for change! Support initiatives that promote gender equality. Strapped for ideas on where to start advocating? Check out:

• The HeforShe campaign, initiated by women in the UN which encourages men to stand in solidarity with women for gender equality. 
• Women Deliver: An advocacy organization that focuses on gender equality and the health and rights of girls and women. 
• Catalyst: This nonprofit organization works to accelerate progress for women through workplace inclusion. Their website offers valuable resources, reports, and tools for individuals and companies committed to gender equality in the workplace. 
• Girls not brides: A global partnership committed to ending child marriage. Supporting and spreading awareness about the organization’s work can contribute to efforts to empower girls and young women. 

Whether it’s in your workplace, community, or social circles, let’s push for a world where gender isn’t a barrier. 💪✨ #GenderEquality #ActForChange #womenshistory