Domestic roles still dominant for women 12/20/2011 New report reveals problems in overcoming region’s gender gap.

Women’s roles in Latin America and the Caribbean are still overwhelmingly defined by taking care of children, according to the Global Gender Gap 2011 study, published in November by the World Economic Forum.

Even if women in the region have advanced in education and health care levels, their political and economic participation is still lower than their male counterparts, the study said. “Over the last six years, while 85% of countries are improving their gender equality ratios, for the rest of the world the situation is declining, most notably in several African and South American countries,” said the organization.

Ricardo Hausmann, director of the Center for International Development at Harvard University and one of the study’s co-authors said that “in Latin America, women have more schooling than men but marriage and motherhood are still not compatible with a fuller economic and political participation of women. We’ve come a long way but there is still a long road ahead of us.”

The gender gap index, published annually since 2005, evaluates women’s economic participation and opportunity (salaries, contribution and percentage of high-ranking jobs); access to basic and higher education; decision-making political positions; health care and life expectancy in 135 countries.

Cuba ranked among the 20 countries with the least gender inequality because of its high number of women professionals and women legislators, as well as high levels of education of women. —Latinamerica Press.

LATIN AMERICA / CARIBBEAN Global Gender Gap Index 2011* Country Rank Score** Cuba 20 0.7394 Trinidad & Tobago 21 0.7372 Bahamas 22 0.7340 Costa Rica 25 0.7266 Nicaragua 27 0.7245 Argentina 28 0.7236 Barbados 33 0.7170 Guyana 38 0.7084 Panama 40 0.7042 Ecuador 45 0.7035 Chile 46 0.7030 Jamaica 47 0.7028 Honduras 54 0.6945 Uruguay 58 0.6907 Bolivia 62 0.6862 Venezuela 63 0.6861 Paraguay 67 0.6818 Peru 73 0.6796 Colombia 80 0.6714 Dominican Rep. 81 0.6682 Brazil 82 0.6679 Mexico 89 0.6604 El Salvador 94 0.6567 Belize 100 0.6489 Suriname 104 0.6395 Guatemala 112 0.6229 *0.00=inequality, 1.00=equality Source: World Economic Forum

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