Gender pay gap widens

AUSTRALIA has gone backwards in its efforts to close the gender pay gap, but leads the world in providing equal access to education for men and women.

The World Economic Forum ranks Australia 42 out of 144 countries for gender equity in economic participation and opportunity, down from 12th in the world a decade ago.

In a new report, the WEF places Australia behind 34 other countries in its overall ranking of the gender gap – which also covers health, education and politics – after we finished at 15th in 2006.

Scandinavian countries lead the way, but for the first time since 2006, the gender gap has widened.

Australia topped every other country when it came to literacy rates and providing equal access to school and tertiary education.