Of course, the situation varies globally. The U.S., for example, is expected to reach economic gender equality in 2059, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research . America ranks 28th out of the 145 nations on the WEF’s Gender Gap Index, putting it below most European countries, including the UK, France, and Germany, as well as some African ones: Rwanda ranks sixth on the list, while South Africa ranks 17th.
The best news comes from—where else?—the Nordic countries: Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden, which occupy the top four spots in the index. In that past 10 years, Iceland managed to shrink the gap by 11%, which means the country’s men and women are on track to reach economic equality in a decade, says Saadia Zahidi, head of employment and gender initiatives at the Forum.