Empowering the Third Billion: women and the world of work in 2012

Countries that take steps to empower women as employees and entrepreneurs can reap social and economic benefits. This report ranks 128 countries based on their track record in enabling women to play a substantial role in the global economy. It is based on the Third Billion Index, a composite of indicators of women’s potential for economic participation, drawn from a spectrum of criteria. The index divides all the indicators of women’s economic standing into two separate clusters. ‘Inputs’ are steps that governments and the private sector can take to improve the economic position of women. These are grouped into three composite elements: women’s level of preparation for joining the workforce; the country’s access-to-work policies; and entrepreneurial support. ‘Outputs’ are the observable aspects (social, political, and economic) of women’s participation in the national economy. These are also grouped into three composite elements: inclusion in the workforce; the degree of advancement in the national economy; and equal pay for equal work in practice. Broadly, a country’s overall index ranking is derived from combining its input and output factors. The report includes in-depth profiles of 10 countries that have a range of geographies and are at varying stages of economic development. In addition, three countries from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) are profiled, which are all ‘at the starting gate’.

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