.... The 2013 report is published by the Geneva based World Economic Forum. It is concerned with the gender-based disparities in 136 countries (more than 93 percent of the world's population) relating to economic, educational, health, and political policies. It measures the relative gaps between the sexes in these four areas, not the levels of absolute achievements.
The region in the world that is worst and has least improved in these regards is the Middle East and North Africa. That region has closed only 59 percent of the overall gender gap. In the economic area, it has closed only 39 percent, and in political empowerment less than 7 percent.
The Arab Middle East countries have the lowest performance of the 136 countries in both the economic and political fields. [The Commentator] Read more
