Over the past six years, while 85 per cent of countries have improved their gender equality ratios, for the rest of the world the situation is getting worse, most notably in African and South American countries.
The sixth annual World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2011 shows a slight decline over the past year in gender equality rankings for many countries.
The report assesses 135 countries, representing more than 93 per cent of the world's population, on how well resources and opportunities are divided among male and female populations.
The report measures the size of the gender inequality gap in four areas:
Economic participation and opportunity - salaries, participation and highly-skilled employment
Education - access to basic and higher level education
Political empowerment - representation in decision-making structures
Health and survival - life expectancy and sex ratio
Let us have a look at 30 countries, starting with India, and see how well or badly they are doing when it comes to gender gap.
India
Rank in 2011: 113
Score in 2011: 0.6190
Rank in 2010: 112
Score in 2010: 0.6155
Rank in 2009: 114
Score in 2009: 0.6151
Click NEXT to see rest of the countries...
Iceland
Rank in 2011: 1
Score in 2011: 0.8530
Rank in 2010: 1
Score in 2010: 0.8496
Rank in 2009: 1
Score in 2009: 0.8276
...
Norway
Rank in 2011: 2
Score in 2011: 0.8404
Rank in 2010: 2
Score in 2010: 0.8404
Rank in 2009: 3
Score in 2009: 0.8227
...
Finland
Rank in 2011: 3
Score in 2011: 0.8383
Rank in 2010: 3
Score in 2010: 0.8260
Rank in 2009: 2
Score in 2009: 0.8252
...
Sweden
Rank in 2011: 4
Score in 2011: 0.8044
Rank in 2010: 4
Score in 2010: 0.8024
Rank in 2009: 4
Score in 2009: 0.8139
...
Ireland
Rank in 2011: 5
Score in 2011: 0.7830
Rank in 2010: 6
Score in 2010: 0.7773
Rank in 2009: 8
Score in 2009: 0.7597
...
New Zealand
Rank in 2011: 6
Score in 2011: 0.7810
Rank in 2010: 5
Score in 2010: 0.7808
Rank in 2009: 5
Score in 2009: 0.7880
...
Denmark
Rank in 2011: 7
Score in 2011: 0.7778
Rank in 2010: 7
Score in 2010: 0.7719
Rank in 2009: 7
Score in 2009: 0.7628
...
The Philippines
Rank in 2011: 8
Score in 2011: 0.7685
Rank in 2010: 9
Score in 2010: 0.7654
Rank in 2009: 9
Score in 2009: 0.7579
...
Lesotho
Rank in 2011: 9
Score in 2011: 0.7666
Rank in 2010: 8
Score in 2010: 0.7678
Rank in 2009: 10
Score in 2009: 0.7495
...
Switzerland
Rank in 2011: 10
Score in 2011: 0.7627
Rank in 2010: 10
Score in 2010: 0.7562
Rank in 2009: 13
Score in 2009: 0.7426
...
Germany
Rank in 2011: 11
Score in 2011: 0.7590
Rank in 2010: 11
Score in 2010: 0.7530
Rank in 2009: 12
Score in 2009: 0.7449
...
Spain
Rank in 2011: 12
Score in 2011: 0.7580
Rank in 2010: 11
Score in 2010: 0.7554
Rank in 2009: 17
Score in 2009: 0.7345
...
Belgium
Rank in 2011: 13
Score in 2011: 0.7531
Rank in 2010: 14
Score in 2010: 0.7509
Rank in 2009: 33
Score in 2009: 0.7165
...
South Africa
Rank in 2011: 14
Score in 2011: 0.7478
Rank in 2010: 12
Score in 2010: 0.7535
Rank in 2009: 6
Score in 2009: 0.7709
...
The Netherlands
Rank in 2011: 15
Score in 2011: 0.7470
Rank in 2010: 17
Score in 2010: 0.7444
Rank in 2009: 11
Score in 2009: 0.7490
...
The United Kingdom
Rank in 2011: 16
Score in 2011: 0.7462
Rank in 2010: 15
Score in 2010: 0.7460
Rank in 2009: 15
Score in 2009: 0.7402
...
The United States
Rank in 2011: 17
Score in 2011: 0.7412
Rank in 2010: 19
Score in 2010: 0.7411
Rank in 2009: 31
Score in 2009: 0.7173
...
Canada
Rank in 2011: 18
Score in 2011: 0.7407
Rank in 2010: 20
Score in 2010: 0.7372
Rank in 2009: 25
Score in 2009: 0.7196
...
Latvia
Rank in 2011: 19
Score in 2011: 0.7407
Rank in 2010: 18
Score in 2010: 0.7372
Rank in 2009: 14
Score in 2009: 0.7196
...
Cuba
Rank in 2011: 20
Score in 2011: 0.7394
Rank in 2010: 24
Score in 2010: 0.7253
Rank in 2009: 29
Score in 2009: 0.7176
...
Trinidad and Tobago
Rank in 2011: 21
Score in 2011: 0.7372
Rank in 2010: 21
Score in 2010: 0.7353
Rank in 2009: 19
Score in 2009: 0.7298
...
Bahamas
Rank in 2011: 22
Score in 2011: 0.7340
Rank in 2010: 36
Score in 2010: 0.7128
Rank in 2009: 28
Score in 2009: 0.7179
...
Australia
Rank in 2011: 23
Score in 2011: 0.7291
Rank in 2010: 23
Score in 2010: 0.7271
Rank in 2009: 20
Score in 2009: 0.7282
...
Burundi
Rank in 2011: 24
Score in 2011: 0.7270
Rank in 2010: Not available
Score in 2010: Not available
Rank in 2009: Not available
Score in 2009: Not available
...
Costa Rica
Rank in 2011: 25
Score in 2011: 0.7270
Rank in 2010: 28
Score in 2010: 0.7266
Rank in 2009: 27
Score in 2009: 0.7194
...
Mozambique
Rank in 2011: 26
Score in 2011: 0.7251
Rank in 2010: 22
Score in 2010: 0.7329
Rank in 2009: 26
Score in 2009: 0.7195
...
Nicaragua
Rank in 2011: 27
Score in 2011: 0.7245
Rank in 2010: 30
Score in 2010: 0.7176
Rank in 2009: 49
Score in 2009: 0.7002
...
China
Rank in 2011: 61
Score in 2011: 0.6866
Rank in 2010: 60
Score in 2010: 0.6881
Rank in 2009: 61
Score in 2009: 0.6907
...
Pakistan
Rank in 2011: 133
Score in 2011: 0.5583
Rank in 2010: 132
Score in 2010: 0.5465
Rank in 2009: 132
Score in 2009: 0.5458