BBC News took data from the World Economic Forum that analyzes the gap between income and gender in employment and education. From that information, it has been learned that by using 2017 as a starting point, it would take 100 years to close the Gender Gap between Men And Women. This number is even worse than it was a year ago, suggesting that things are getting worse.
WEF results
The World Economic Forum began charting economic gender gaps between men and women back in 2006 according to BBC News. The Forum studies 144 countries and collects data on key areas of importance.
The study found that women have a 68 percent chance of similar outcomes as that of men.
The latest trends show a worrying notion of what is happening globally. The same could be said for the workplace equality factor which has risen to 217 years from 170 years last year.
The biggest gaps in gender are healthcare and education. But areas of economic participation and political positions between men and women also have a long way to go to close the gender gap according to WEF.
Nordic countries have the highest equality ratings for women in the world. Norway, Denmark, and Sweden are in the top five countries that have beneficial measures for women. Women who live in the Middle East or Arabic speaking countries are still lagging behind in equality.
Yemen scored a 52 percent in gender equality according to WEF.
Women who are working or have employment often take unpaid or part-time jobs due to childcare being more proportionally a women's field in some cultures across the globe says WEF findings. The findings also indicate that women also take on lower paying professions if they have a full-time career and are less likely to be highly-paid senior members of companies.
Yet the benefits of having women in senior level positions mean that companies get more on their return of investments.
Closing the gap
The study found that several countries could benefit from a closed gender gap. China would be able to add nearly $3 billion to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the United States could add close to $2 billion, France and Germany would be able to add more than $300 million each, and the United Kingdom could add $250 million to its overall GDP.
France and Canada saw improvements in their governments when President Macron and Prime Minister Trudeau added more women in higher government positions. But in the United States only less than 30 percent of government jobs were taken over by women under President Trump's current administration according to WEF findings. The US is 49th out of 144 in countries that have tried to improve gender equality. England is 15th in equality but is 95th in income inequality where women earn less than 50 percent of male counterparts in some professions.
