Report: Pandemic Set Back Gender Equality by a Generation

GENEVA - The World Economic Forum says women will have to wait another 135.6 years to achieve global gender parity. 

The forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2021, released Wednesday, said the COVID-19 pandemic had set back efforts to close the gender gap by a generation. For the 12th consecutive year, Iceland topped the rankings as the most gender-equal country in the world, followed by Finland, Norway, New Zealand and Sweden.  Two African countries, Namibia and Rwanda, entered the rankings of 156 countries in sixth and seventh place.  Afghanistan was at the bottom of the ranking. The United States moved up 23 positions to 30th.   Authors of the report said that jump in gender parity was due to improvements in the makeup of the new U.S. administration.