TOFAUTI YA KIUCHUMI KATI YA WANAUME NA WANAWAKE YAPUNGUA.

Taarifa za kuaminika kutoka katika vyanzo mbalimbali vya habari zinasema kua tofauti kubwa ilioko kti ya wanawake na wanaume kiuchumi imeppungua maradufu kufuatia jitihada mbalimbali zinazofanywa na baadhi ya wanaharakati was kiuchumi kuhakikisha kunakua na usawa huo, 

Mataifa ya Iceland na Finland yanaendelea kushika nafasi za juu katika mataifa 136 katika uwajibikaji wa masuala yanayohusu usawa ikiwemo Uchumi, Elimu, na Ushiriki katka masuala ya kisiasa.

Katika riport iliyotolewa na Shirika la utangazaji la BBC, hapa chini ni riport kamili.

They are small economies with small populations; they recognize that talent matters, and that talent has to be men and women.

Overall, the report, entitled Global Gender Gap Report 2013, found Iceland to be the most advanced country in the world in terms of gender equality for the fifth year running.

THE TOP 20 COUNTRIES
	2013	2012
Iceland	1	1
Finland	2	2
Norway	3	3
Sweden	4	4
Philippines	5	8
Ireland	6	5
New Zealand	7	6
Denmark	8	7
Switzerland	9	10
Nicaragua	10	9
Belgium	11	12
Latvia	12	15
Netherlands	13	11
Germany	14	13
Cuba	15	19
Lesotho	16	14
South Africa	17	16
UK	18	18
Austria	19	20
Canada	20	21

Iceland, Finland (second), Norway (third) and Sweden (fourth) had all closed over 80% of the gender gap, where 100% would represent full equality.

The highest-ranked Asian nation was the Philippines (fifth), praised for its success in health, education and economic participation.

Asia's major economies performed poorly, with China in 69th place and Japan 105th.

Nicaragua in 10th place was the highest positioned country in North and South America, and was praised for a "strong performance" in terms of political empowerment.

Among major world economies Germany ranked 14th (down one), the UK held its position at 18, with Canada at 20 and the United States 23rd.

On matters of health and survival, the report finds that 96% of the gap has now closed.

In terms of education, the global gender gap is 93% closed, with 25 countries now judged to deliver equal treatment to boys and girls at school.

It is a different picture on the core issue of economic equality, where the gender gap has closed by 60%.

In developing and developed countries alike, women's presence in economic leadership positions is limited.

And while women have made small gains in political representation - 2% this year - only 21% of that global gender gap has closed

Ms Zahidi said the idea of the report was not to remind poor countries that they had fewer opportunities than rich countries, but to give them a tool to improve the situation.

"Women make up one half of the human capital available to any economy and any company; if that talent isn't integrated, that is going to be a loss for both women and men," she said.