The World Economic Forum has just recently published its annual rankings of countries in terms of gender equality and gender participation. In preparing the rankings it obtains comparable data from every country, ranks the countries from best to worst, scores each in terms of inequality, and compares each to the average score for all countries in terms of inequality. It makes interesting and for Canada discouraging reading. Canada for all its wealth, believe in equality, and highly developed civil institutions, does not do very well.

Country rankings, in order from one to ten, are Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, New Zealand, South Africa, Denmark, Ireland, Philippines and Lesotho. Canada ranks an embarrassing 25th. Five of the countries which out-rank Canada are lower income developing countries- including countries like Lesotho and South Africa, which as indicated are in the top 10. So much for Canada’s ability to capitalize on its progressive views and high level of economic development to become a truly modern country. Clearly it takes more than an advanced developed economy to achieve equality.

The rankings are also broken down by sub-categories of participation and inequality. Our ranking compared to other countries in terms of income equality is 28th, pay for equal work 21st, labour force participation 22nd, enrollment in high school 87th, healthy life expectancy 67th, and women in ministerial positions in government 69th. These results are embarrassing and disturbing. How is that Canada is so far behind so much of the world when it comes to equality for women?

The Economic Forum understand what all of this means, stating: “From a values and social justice perspective, empowering women and providing them with equal rights and opportunities for fulfilling their potential is long overdue. From a business, economic and competitiveness viewpoint, targeting gender parity is a necessary condition for progress”. This is not coming from some bleeding heart social NGO. The World Economic Forum is the top big business organization in the world. It is the world equivalent of the BC Business Council in BC and the Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) representing the CEOs of Canada’s leading enterprises. It is not known for radical positions. And of course gender equality is no longer radical anywhere else except Canada. Can anyone imagine the C.D. Howe Institute, another Canadian pillar of business thought, even contemplating producing a report like this? The worthies there probably believe that lower pay, employment and opportunities generally for women are simply the result of the market at work, proving in fact that women are less capable, productive and deservng.

How is it that Canada remains so far behind the rest of the world on gender issues? The reasons are not hard to find. We still have a third world child care policy, no federal women’s equality agenda, weak employment laws, and continuing cuts to women’s programs that do exist. Neither the public nor private sectors here take promotion of women seriously. Our corporations still have a cowboy frontier mind set, valuing manly aggressiveness and macho behavior in the work place and the boardroom. Women are still treated as second class by our political parties. The BC Campbell government, always happy to claim it is progressive and forward looking, has virtually abandoned any semblance of support for action on women’s equality. Most other provinces are no better. And of course Harper is still holds 19th century views on women. For more on all of this go to http://www.policycentre.ca/2009/09/06/failing-women-at-work-unfair.

In 1998, Canada had a per capita GDP of $39,300 (US). The average for the Northern hemisphere was $17,950, and for the Southern hemisphere $6,835. We are by no means a poor country unable to afford basic programs and commitments. The time has long passed to put this off any longer. Shame on us. Shame on our leaders.