Male-female inequalities in PH decrease – world report

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Philippines was better able to address inequalities between men and women in 2013 than the year before.

This is according to the 2013 Global Gender Gap Report, which ranks the Philippines 5th out of 136 countries in terms of progress in closing the male-female gender gap in economics, politics, education, and health.

In 2012, the Philippines ranked 8th.

“Philippines is the only country in Asia and the Pacific that has fully closed the gender gap in both education and health,” the report reads.

The index measured gender disparities in education in terms of literacy and the ratio of men and women per education level. Health was measured in terms of life expectancy and the sex ratio at birth.

The report – a project of the World Economic Forum – measures “results” rather than “input.” The report focused on how the female population fared against the opposite gender, instead of gauging how well a country invested in female-friendly policies.

“This year, the Philippines scores a higher ratio in the wage equality survey, improves its estimated earned income, and has a larger representation of female professional and technical workers,” reads the report.

ROI in women’s participation

The Philippines ranked 1st – tied with 31 other countries – in terms of women’s health and survival.

It also ranked 1st – tied with 24 other countries – in terms of women’s educational attainment.

While fully closing the gender gap in health and education, the country ranked 16th in terms of women’s economic participation.

The report concluded that investments made in women’s health and education generally gain a return of investment in women’s economic and political participation.

The Philippines had one data point (“women in parliament”) missing in the 2013 Global Gender Gap Report, leaving it out of the list in terms of the Gender Gap Index in politics.

As of 2013, Rappler data shows that women comprise less than 30% of Philippine Congress.

Globally, said the report, significant gains have been made in terms of women’s political empowerment.

(Check the interactive map below for the global rankings.) –Buena Bernal, http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/42214-ph-male-female-inequalities