There is a long way to go before women achieve equality. According to the recently released annual Global Gender Gap Report from the World Economic Forum, it will be more than 200 years before women and men have economic parity. The report found women lag far behind men in many areas. Women currently earn about 20-30 per cent less on average than their male counterparts. One reason for this is the lack of women in management positions. The report said: "In the workplace, women still encounter significant obstacles in taking on managerial or senior official roles."
The World Economic Forum found that inequality closed by only a small amount in the past year. The largest gap between the sexes was in politics. It said: "Only 23 per cent of the political gap..has been closed, and no country has yet fully closed political empowerment gaps." Wide gaps still exist in healthcare and education opportunities. The report said: "The equal contribution of women and men in this process of deep economic and societal transformation is critical. More than ever, societies cannot afford to lose out on the skills, ideas and perspectives of half of humanity."
