Denmark has joined the four other Nordic countries in the top five for gender equality, according to the latest World Economic Forum report.
The Global Gender Gap 2014 report has named Denmark as the fifth best country for gender equality – up from eighth place – meaning the top five positions are now taken up by the Nordic nations. Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden make up the top four spots respectively.
Although Denmark was the only country to break into the top five, there was significant movement between sixth and 10th place. Nicaragua jumped four positions to sixth, while Rwanda entered the top 10 for the first time in seventh. The top 10 places were completed by Ireland, the Philippines and Belgium respectively.
The aim of the Global Gender Gap 2014 is to learn whether nations are distributing their opportunities and resources equitably between men and women, irrespective of income levels.
It measures how big the gender equality gap is in terms of economic opportunity and participation (like leadership and salaries), political empowerment, education, and health and survival relating to sex ratio and life expectancy.
Denmark came out top in education attainment, with full equality in primary, secondary and tertiary education enrolment as well as in literacy rates. But the country did not perform so well in health and survival, finding itself in 65th place.
Overall, however, Denmark has consistently been in the top 10 – while dominating the economic participation category – since the first report was published in 2006.