KUWAIT CITY, Oct 27: Kuwait slid down the Global Gender Gap Index for the third consecutive year for which records are available, landing on the 105th rank this year from 101st in 2008, 96th in 2007 and 86th in 2006. According to a report released by the World Economic Forum Tuesday, Kuwait is still on top of other GCC countries which also went down the global index. United Arab Emirates ranked 112th this year from 108th in 2008,105th in 2007 a nd 101st in 2006.  Bahrain came in 116th in 2009, 112th in 2008, 115th in 2007 and 102nd in 2006; followed by Oman at 123rd this year and 119th in 2008 and 2007; Qatar at 125th in 2009, 121st in 2008 and 109th in 2007; and Saudi Arabia at 130th in 2009, 126th in 2008, 124th in 2007 and 114th in 2006.  Both Oman and Qatar were not included in the 2006 report.

World Economic Forum is a nonprofit group based in Switzerland which ranks countries according to how much they reduce gender disparities based on economic participation, education, health and political empowerment while attempting to strip out the effects of a nation’s overall wealth. This year, the forum ranked Iceland as the highest in gender equality, followed by three other Nordic countries — Finland, Norway and Sweden, which came in second, third and fourth respectively. The report also ranked Iceland highest in political empowerment, a category in which the United States lagged. The United States fell four spots to 31st, behind Lithuania and ahead of Namibia.

“What pulls down the US in this ranking is really the political empowerment data,” said Saadia Zahidi, co-author of the report. Yemen was ranked lowest at 134, behind Chad and Pakistan. “Out of the 115 countries covered in the report since 2006, more than two-thirds have posted gains in overall index scores, indicating that the world in general has made progress towards equality,” co-author Ricardo Hausmann said in a statement. The Nordic countries traditionally have been known for generous social benefits, and the high-ranking nations have made it easier to balance work and family life, the report said.