Smart Survey UK’s latest study called Working Women revealed which are the best and worst countries for women in work. The study takes into account elements that go from wage gap, discrimination in the workplace and barriers to escalate on the career ladder.
Results showed that currently Norway is the country that offers the most inclusive and progressive environment for working women. Norway provides easier access for women who want to become entrepreneurs, and their five per cent wage gap is one of the lowest worldwide .
The countries in the top 5 are Norway, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand and Sweden with four of the five having a wage gap gap lower than 10 per cent and are countries with a very high percentage of women in the workforce. Australia came in the 11 position with a wage gap of 11.71 per cent, 18 weeks of maternal and paternal leave, and a 0.7 per cent average cost to register business as a woman.
Best countries for working women
- Norway
- Denmark
- Finland
- New Zealand
- Sweden
- Portugal
- France
- Canada
- Greece
- Slovakia
On the other hand, the worst 5 countries to be a working woman are Mexico, South Korea, Poland, Colombia and Japan. Mexico has a wage gap of 18.75 per cent and a 37.83 per cent of women in the workforce which is low compared to most countries, which are over the 40%. It’s also more expensive and difficult for a woman to register a business as a woman in Mexico with a 15.2 per cent average cost to start a business and 8.4 days on average for women to be able to set up their business.
Worst countries for working women
- Mexico
- South Korea
- Poland
- Columbia
- Japan
- Italy
- Israel
- Austria
- Chile
- United States
Overall, the best countries for women to work are European, three of the worst are in South America, and although the United States has the highest Global Depositary Receipts is one of the worst countries for working women.
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