The UK Gender Gap Widens As Women's Wages Fall

A stark warning: not one country has managed to close the gender gap, according to the Global Gender Gap Report.

The UK gender gap has widened (yes, you read that right, widened) with the UK no longer appearing in the world's top 20 gender-equal countries.

The research, by the World Economic Forum (WEF), shows that the UK has slipped from 18th in the world to 26th, part of a steady decline since the UK was ninth place in 2006.

The report shows that the average wages for women in the UK workplace fell by £2,700 in a year, while men's remained the same. There was a teeny-tiny glimmer of light in that it said there was a small increase in the percentage of women in senior official and managerial positions, up from 34 per cent to 35 per cent.

Countries that appeared above the UK in terms of gender equality included Iceland, which was found to be the most 'equal' country in the world, followed by Finland, Norway and Sweden. The likes of Nicaragua, Bulgaria, Rwanda and the Philippines all appeared above the UK. Yemen, Pakistan and Chad were at the bottom of the rankings.

Overall, the report paints a sorry picture with the WEF warning: 'No country in the world has achieved gender equality.

'The report continues to highlight the strong correlation between a country’s gender gap and its economic performance,' they wrote.

'Because women account for one-half of a country’s potential talent base, a nation’s competitiveness in the long term depends significantly on whether and how it educates and utilises its women.'