CONVERGENCE MAR-APR2017

Special Feature
In 2016, the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Gender Gap report revealed that Norway
scored 0.84. The gender pay gap scale states that 0 is inequality and 1 is complete equality
NORWAY
Scandinavian countries are definitely
dominating the scene when it comes to
best countries for women because
Norway is our lucky number 3!
The non-governmental organisation
Save the Children published a report in
2016 that looked at 'The Girl's
Opportunity Index' which ranked 144
countries based on five factors that are
used as measures for the societal
conditions of girls: prevalence of child
marriage, adolescent fertility, maternal
mortality, percentage of female
members of parliament and rate of
lower-secondary school completion. The
report ranked Norway third.
In terms of addressing gender pay gap,
the World Economic Forum's (WEF)
Global Gender Gap 2016 report revealed
that Norway scored 0.84 where 0 is
inequality and 1 is complete equality.
The WEF report monitors gender
disparities in 144 countries in the four
areas of economy, health, education and
politics.
The report revealed that for every USD1
a woman earned in Norway, a man
earned USD1.27 which translates to an
average annual salary equalling about
USD57,856 for women and USD73,257
for men. Seventy-six percent of
Norwegian women are part of the
national labour market while Norwegian
men's participation is 80 percent.
If you're travelling to Norway, here are
recommended places to go: The
Vigeland Park in Oslo, view the Northern
Lights (if you're in luck!) and do not
forget to be mesmerised by the modern
architecture that is the Norwegian
National Opera & Ballet building.
NETHERLANDS
The Bicycle-loving nation, Netherlands, is at number 4. On its government website,
this is what the executive powers are saying, "Equality between women and men
is of vital importance, all over the world. But in practice, women and men are not
always treated equally. The Dutch government is therefore committed to equal
treatment for women and to strengthening women’s position in developing
countries."
This also includes the notion that women are entitled to make choices when it
concerns their own body because in January 2017, the country's Foreign Trade and
Development Cooperation Minister, Lilianne Ploumen announced that she intends
to establish an international fund which would finance projects relating to access
for birth control, abortion and women’s education, throughout developing countries.
In Parliament, a quarter of the 150 Lower House seats belong to women with the
Speaker of the House being Morocco-born Khadija Arib. Moreover, the country is
gearing for its election on 15 March 2017, perhaps we shall see a larger female
representation?
But, if you're visiting the tulip country, here are places to go: capital city Amsterdam,
the idyllic Giethoorn which has no roads or cars but boats, the Anne Frank House
and Museum and the Rijksmuseum which houses several European masterpieces.
In the Netherlands, tulip season extends from the end of March to the
middle of May, but mid-April usually sports the most picturesque blossoms
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