Glass-Ceiling Index reveals ‘best place’ for working women

Scandinavia is the ‘best place’ to be a working woman, according to The Economist’s latest Glass-Ceiling Index (GCI).

In fact, Sweden is the best place to work if you are a woman, followed by its Nordic neighbours, Iceland, Finland and Norway, according to this year’s GCI; which combines data on higher education, labour-force participation, pay, child-care costs, maternity and paternity rights, business-school applications and representation in senior jobs to create a ranking of 29 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries (OECD). The index attributes this to Nordic countries being particularly good at helping women complete university, secure a job, access senior positions; and take advantage of quality parental-leave systems and flexible work schedules.

Despite scoring relatively well on women in senior management positions, both America and Britain have fallen below the OECD average. South Korea bottoms out the index for the ninth year in a row with Japan and Turkey not far behind. This is attributed to societal norms in Asia still expecting women to choose between having a family or a career.  

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

The annual index, part of a broader Economist Group effort for International Women’s Day, also suggests progress to the top of companies continues to be slow for women in most OECD countries. In fact, women are still lagging behind their male counterparts in senior positions, making up on average only a third of managers across the OECD. 

According to the GCI analysis, there is progress being made in America where 41% of managers are women and 28% of board members are female, above the OECD average. This is evidenced in part by women taking CEO roles at notable American companies over the past year including Citigroup, UPS, Walgreens and TIAA.

Additional highlights of the GCI, reveal that:

• The US moved four spots up on the index from last year. While its proportion of women in management roles and on boards is above average, it remains stuck below the OECD average with no federally-mandated paid parental leave. 
• Britain improved by three spots on the index this year; its share of women in senior jobs is around a third. 
• Germany moved down the ranking from last year to number 22. German women hold just 29% of managerial roles, and a quarter of seats on boards. 
• France ranks number five in the GCI, the same as last year. France ranks second for the highest share of women on company boards, behind Iceland. 

2021 GLASS CEILING INDEX 

The best and worst OECD countries to be a working woman are (in order of ranking):      

1.  Sweden
2.  Iceland
3.  Finland
4.  Norway
5.  France
6.  Denmark
7.  Portugal
8.  Belgium
9.  New Zealand
10. Poland
11. Canada
12. Slovakia
13. Italy
14. Hungary
15. Spain
16. Australia
17. Austria
OECD AVERAGE
18. United States
19. Israel
20. Britain
21. Ireland
22. Germany
23. Czech Republic
24. Netherlands
25. Greece
26. Switzerland
27. Turkey
28. Japan
29. South Korea

THE FIGHT FOR GENDER EQUALITY

This is the ninth year that The Economist has released its GCI; a yearly assessment of where women have the best and worst chances of equal treatment at work in countries in the OECD. When it was launched in 2013 there were five indicators and 26 countries; today it consists of 10 indicators including maternity and paternity leave for 29 OECD countries.

“The Economist is uniquely positioned to cover the fight for equality for women around the world. For International Women’s Day, in addition to the Glass Ceiling Index, we are highlighting women who are breaking through, as well as shining a light where there is still progress to be made,” commented Kim Miller, Global Chief Marketing Officer, The Economist Group.

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