Women in the Workforce

Inclusion into the workforce is an important parameter when measuring the advancement of women. To mark International Women’s Day on Tuesday (March 8) The Economist has updated its so-called glass-ceiling index. It aims to show which countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) offer women the best chances of equal treatment at the work place.

Today’s chart shows the overall ranking in 29 of the 34 OECD countries, with all parameters set on an equal level, among them higher education, labor-force participation, pay, child-care costs, maternity rights, business-school applications and representation in senior jobs. This year’s index for the first time also takes paid leave for fathers into account, as this can also help women in pursuit of a career.

Unsurprisingly, it’s the Nordic countries that hold the upper positions: Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland come out on top. Eastern European countries such as Poland and Hungary fare surprisingly well, maybe as a result of their socialist past, and surpass bigger countries and economies like France and Germany. The United States and Great Britain fare less well with lower than OECD average results.