The World Economic Forum has published the 2022 Global Gender Gap Report. Iran, under the clerical regime, is at the bottom of the gender gap index, ranking 143 among 146 countries studied.
The main reason for the abysmal ranking is the lack of equal opportunities for women under the mullahs’ misogynous regime.
Iceland has the highest world ranking in closing the gender gap.
The Global Gender Gap Report examines the evolution of gender equality based on four grounds: participation and economic opportunities, educational progress, health and survival, and political empowerment.
Under the mullahs’ rule, Iran ranks 143 among 146 countries in the global gender gap index. It scores 0.576 in the GGGR2022, which is even lower than what it was in 2021.
Iran’s economic participation and opportunities score declined to 0.343, and its political participation stalled at 0.036.
The 2022 Global Gender Gap Report stresses, “Accelerating parity must be a core part of the public and private agenda.”
Based on this report, Iran has one of the lowest estimated earned incomes for women, and labour-force participation regressed significantly in Iran.
The share of women in professional and technical roles also regressed in Iran
The impact of the gender gap on women
Under the title, “Gender Gaps in the workforce: an emergency crisis,” the Global Gender Gap Report 2022 states:
Gender gaps in the workforce are driven and affected by many factors, including long-standing structural barriers, socioeconomic and technological transformation, as well as economic shocks.
More women have been moving into paid work and, increasingly, leadership positions, yet globally societal expectations, employer policies, the legal environment and the availability of care continue to play an important role in the choice of educational tracks and career trajectories. The decade of austerity that followed the 2008 Global Financial Crisis constrained sectors that provide the core of social infrastructure, affecting outcomes for families and primary caregivers – often women – during the pandemic. Geopolitical conflict and climate change both impact women disproportionately. In addition, the projected deepening of the current cost-of-living crisis is also likely to impact women more severely than men, as women continue to earn and accumulate wealth at lower levels.
Iran’s ranking in 2021
The Global Gender Gap Report 2021 ranked Iran 150 among 156 countries with an index of 0.582.
Under the clerical regime, Iran scores 0.375 on Economic Participation and Opportunity and a minuscule 0.036 on Political Empowerment of women.
The ranking was two steps down from the recordings in the Global Gender Gap Report 2020 and 8 steps down from that of the Global Gender Gap Report 2019.
It should be noted that the World Economic Forum ranks countries based on their official statistics. Due to the non-transparency of the mullahs’ regime in publishing actual statistics, even this category does not reflect the real situation of women in Iran and their deprivation of equal opportunities and participation.