Poll Reveals Gender Gaps for Working Women Doris Nhan - Next America
go to original August 7, 2012

Women in 26 percent of the world's countries are less likely than men to be employed at capacity, according to July data released by Gallup. In this instance, "at capacity" refers to people in the workforce working full-time or part-time for an employer, but not seeking full-time work.

Gallup found gender gaps up to more than 20 percentage points for some countries, while other countries had more women working at capacity than men.

According to Gallup, the Employed at Capacity for an Employer Index has strong correlations to the gross domestic product, household income, and well-being. It is not comparing data to the total population, but rather to able adults who are working, or available and looking for work.

Countries that are most likely to have women working at capacity for employers include Kuwait, Singapore, and Sweden. Countries least likely include Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, and Guinea. The likelihood of having women working at capacity often correlated to the overall job climate for the country for both men and women.

Don't keep your hopes up for the U.S., however. The States boast just a -9 index, with 61 percent of women working full-time or part-time (and not wanting work), compared to 70 percent of men.

"Women clearly need better employment opportunities. Social norms in individual countries may explain many of the gender gaps in employment. However, policies in individual countries that encourage decent job opportunities for everyone and encourage women to pursue higher education may help level the playing field," Jenny Marlar and Kyley McGeeney wrote for Gallup.

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