Rich countries have made very little progress toward reducing gaps in income and power between men and women over the last five years, according to a report published Wednesday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The Paris-based think tank, which provides advise on the best policies to follow to its 35 member governments, said its findings were a “stark call to action” that should “change public policies in tandem with stereotypes, attitudes, and behaviors.”
“Gender gaps persist in all areas of social and economic life and across countries, and the size of these gaps has often changed little,” said Ángel Gurria, the OECD’s secretary-general. “These inequalities should have long been resolved. There is no reason for women to trail behind men in social, economic, and political outcomes.”