The World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap report measures gender inequality in various nations by focusing on the gaps between men and women in the economic, political, educational and health spheres. Thus, countries that are most equal aren't required to have great conditions for either gender, but one sex won't be far better off than the other.
Here are the top 10 most and least equal countries, according to 2009 measurements, along with the type of language (gendered, natural gender or genderless) spoken in each:
Countries with the most gender equality, from most to least:
1. Finland (tie with Iceland), genderless
2. Iceland (tie with Finland), natural gender
3. Norway, natural gender
4 Sweden, natural gender
5. South Africa, genderless
6. Denmark (tied with Ireland), natural gender
7. Ireland (tied with Denmark), gendered
8. The Netherlands, gendered
9. Germany (tied with Latvia, Sri Lanka & Switzerland), gendered
10. Latvia (tied with Germany, Sri Lanka & Switzerland), gendered
11. Sri Lanka (tied with Germany, Latvia & Switzerland), gendered
12. Switzerland (tied with Germany, Latvia & Sri Lanka), gendered
Countries with the least gender equality, from least to most:
1. Yemen, gendered
2. Chad, gendered
3. Pakistan, gendered
4. Saudi Arabia, gendered
5. Turkey, genderless
6. Iran, genderless
7. Qatar (tied with Oman, Morocco, Ethiopia & Egypt), gendered
8. Oman (tied with Qatar, Morocco, Ethiopia & Egypt), gendered
9. Morocco (tied with Qatar, Oman, Morocco, Ethiopia & Egypt), gendered
10. Ethiopia (tied with Qatar, Oman, Morocco, & Egypt), gendered
11. Egypt (tied with Qatar, Oman, Morocco & Ethiopia), gendered
You can follow LiveScience senior writer Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience and on Facebook.
