The World Economic Forum, based in Geneva, Switzerland, publishes an annual report on the roles of men and women in some 135 countries around the world. Each country is assigned a composite score that reflects the degree of equality between the sexes.
The Composite score (Gender Gap) as to how men and women fare is derived by examining: salary earned for equal work, decision making, education, and political empowerment. Viewed in the context of the 135 countries examined, each one is then ascribed a number, from #1 to #135: the smaller the number, the more equality exists between men and women in that country; the larger the number, the greater the degree of inequality between them.
The latest rankings available were those published in 2011. In that report, the Scandinavian countries continue to occupy the top places, while the Far Eastern and Arab countries will be found on the opposite end of the scale. The U.S. has fared rather well at #17/135.
Among the Spanish-speaking countries of the world, Spain is ranked #12/135; and in this hemisphere, Cuba at #20/135 fares best in the Americas, while Guatemala at #112/135 finds itself closer to the opposite end of the spectrum.
The rest of the countries have been rated as follows (in alphabetical order): Argentina, 28/135; Bolivia, 62/135; Chile, 46/135; Colombia, 80/135; Costa Rica, 25/135; Dominican Republic, 81/135; Ecuador, 45/135, El Salvador, 94/135; Honduras, 54/135; Mexico, 89/135; Nicaragua, 27/135, Panama, 40/135; Paraguay, 76/135; Peru, 73/135; Puerto Rico, 66/135; Uruguay, 58/135; and Venezuela, 63/135.
How do you explain such a wide range of gender gaps among the Spanish-speaking countries?