The 16 best countries for gender equality

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LONDON – The global gender gap widened in 2017 for the first time since the World Economic Forum (WEF) began measuring the divide, according to a new report.

Findings published on Wednesday in the WEF's 2017 Global Gender Gap Report show the average gap worldwide now stands at 32%, compared to an average gap of 31.7% last year.

This analysis is based on four dimensions — economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival and political empowerment — across 144 countries worldwide.

On current trends, the report says, "the overall global gender gap can be closed in exactly 100 years across the 106 countries covered since the inception of the report, compared to 83 years last year."

The gaps in economic participation and political empowerment remain widest, with equality in economic participation now at its lowest point since 2008.

This year, 82 countries saw their scores increase, while 60 saw them decrease.

Keep scrolling for the 16 countries with the smallest gender gaps:

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1. Canada — 0.769. This country is in 1st place for equality in educational attainment between men and women, but trails in 56th place for 'women in parliament.'
2. Canada — 0.769. This country is in 1st place for equality in educational attainment between men and women, but trails in 56th place for 'women in parliament.'
   Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waves as he arrives to the Senate in Mexico CityThomson Reuters
3. UK — 0.770. Levels of education between men and women are about equal in this country, but it scores 49th for 'women in ministerial positions.'
4. UK — 0.770. Levels of education between men and women are about equal in this country, but it scores 49th for 'women in ministerial positions.'
   British Prime Minister Theresa May.Reuters
5. Denmark — 0.776. There are an almost equal number of male and female professional and technical workers in this country, but there are two and half times more male than female legislators, senior officials and managers.
6. Denmark — 0.776. There are an almost equal number of male and female professional and technical workers in this country, but there are two and half times more male than female legislators, senior officials and managers.
   Copenhagen, Denmark.REUTERS/Bob Strong
7. Namibia — 0.777. There are 1.28 times the number of women as men in tertiary education in this country, but it ranks 64th for 'wage equality for similar work.'
8. Namibia — 0.777. There are 1.28 times the number of women as men in tertiary education in this country, but it ranks 64th for 'wage equality for similar work.'
   A town in Namibia.Peter Stenglein / Wikimedia Commons
   =11. Germany — 0.778. Roughly the same number of men and women work as professional and technical workers in this country, but men's average earnings are almost 1.5 times more than women's.
   =11. Germany — 0.778. Roughly the same number of men and women work as professional and technical workers in this country, but men's average earnings are almost 1.5 times more than women's.