50 percent female government minister representation might look like gender equality has been accomplished. But it also depends on which positions are being held by women.
We have distributed 200 points - 40 for each Nordic country. 100 female points equals full gender equality. We have looked at 13 government minister posts. Each gives one point except prime minister (5), finance minister (3) and foreign minister (2). We have also included leaders of the largest trade unions and employers' organisations: Leaders of confederations of trade unions (4), leaders of service industries unions (2), leaders of trade unions for academics (2), leaders of employers' organisations (2) and managing directors at employers' organisations (2). And finally six important symbolic positions: Heads of state, supreme court presidents, heads of central banks, arch bishops, police commissioners and commander-in-chief. Heads of state get three points, while the others get one each. We have not included leaders of major companies because they are not considered to be employed as a result of a democratic process.
Iceland is best on equality according to The Global Gender Gap Report, which is published each year by the World Economic Forum in Davos.
It compares women to men by looking at four separate indicators: health, education, participation in working life and political power. The five Nordic countries have been among the top ten since the first report was published in 2006. The 2011 rankings are: 1. Iceland 2. Norway 3. Finland 4. Sweden 5. Ireland 6. New Zealand 7. Denmark 8. The Philippines 9. Lesotho 10. Switzerland Sweden has fallen from first to fourth place since 2006, while Iceland has gone the opposite way. Norway has been moving between first and third. Finland is third while Denmark is down at number seven, with Ireland and New Zealand separating the two. Generally high living standards will put a country further up the list, while a country like Italy comes 74th, after Bangladesh, Ghana and Madagascar.