Global workplace gender gap widening - WEF

The World Economic Forum launched its 11th Global Gender Gap Report, revealing a troubling trend of the global workplace gender gap expanding rather than shrinking. Despite progress in education and politics, the economic participation and opportunity gender gap between men and women is now at its widest since 2008. The report indicates that at the current pace, it will take approximately 170 years to close this gap. Til Leopold, Project Lead for Education, Gender, and Work System Initiative at the World Economic Forum, provided insights into Africa and South Africa's specific gender gap dynamics. The discussion highlighted key challenges and opportunities for addressing gender parity in the region. One of the main factors contributing to the widening gender gap is chronic imbalances in wages and salaries globally. Additionally, the lack of infrastructure in the care economy and provisions for parental leave often result in lower labor force participation among women. While some regions have made significant strides in closing the gender gap, others, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, face varying levels of progress. In Africa, including nations like South Africa, Rwanda, and Namibia in the top 20 and Mali and Chad in the bottom 10, there is a mixed bag of results. In the case of South Africa, the country has made progress in certain areas, with parity in the number of professional and technical workers. However, there are lingering gender gaps in senior executive positions and STEM education. Only 13% of STEM graduates in South Africa are women, highlighting the need to address this disparity to ensure women can benefit from emerging opportunities in technology fields. Leopold emphasized the importance of creating more quality jobs for both men and women to achieve true gender parity. While progress has been made in terms of education, translating this into better job opportunities remains a challenge. The conversation shed light on the significant work that still needs to be done to bridge the gender gap globally and in specific regions like Africa. As the world grapples with the reality of a widening gender gap, it is clear that concerted efforts from governments, the private sector, and civil society are needed to address the systemic factors contributing to this issue. Initiatives that promote equal pay, support for working parents, and increased access to quality education and employment opportunities for women are crucial in moving towards a more gender-equal society.