Malawi top ranked in gender index, says World Economic Forum

Malawi has been ranked fifth in the Sub-saharan region in promoting equality for women in the workplace.

Research by the World Economic Forum (WEF) – the body behind the high-powered annual Davos summit – found  Malawi is a top performer in the region, mainly on primary education, on the rankings of its Global Gender Gap Report,

The WEF looked at economic factors, health, education and political participation in 142 countries.

Malawi is also among the best improvers in the region in promoting women equality in the workplace since 2006.

Globally, Malawi is ranked 34 out of 142 countries.

“Based on the nine years of data available for the 111 countries that have been part of the report since its inception, the world has seen a small improvement in equality for women in the workplace,” reads the report in part.

Rwanda came into the rankings for the first time and took seventh place in the global top 10, making it the highest-ranking African economy owing to “ its strong political empowerment performance and good rankings for economic participation and opportunity.”

The Global Gender Gap Report measures the size of the gender gap (the disparity in opportunities available for men and women) for 130 countries in four critical areas:
– economic participation and opportunity
– health and survival
– educational attainment
– political empowerment.

The majority of the data come from various non-government organizations such as the International Labor Organization, United Nations Development Program and the World Health Organization.

The ranking comes hot on the heals of  criticism local gender  have levelled against President Peter Mutharika’s selection of diplomats, saying the country is retrogressing in terms of gender balance.

Mutharika hired eight people to diplomatic missions of which only one is a woman.

He also has a male dominated cabinet of 17 men and only three women.

“I am very sad with what the President has done. This was his opportunity to show that he recognises women,” sEmma Kaliya, Executive Director of NGO Gender Network is quoted in a local newspaper.

Kaliya observed that there are qualified women who can equally take such appointment.

Emmie Chanika, Executive Director of Civil Liberties Committee (CILIC), said selection of diplomats demonstrates that the country’s leadership has a wrong perception towards women.

She said it is high time gender activists fought harder in order to have issues of gender balance incorporated in the process of making such appointments.