Taiwan ranks 2nd in Asia in gender empowerment measure

This article was published by the Macroview Weekly on January 2, 2008. It reports that according to the government's Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS), Taiwan ranks second in Asia and 19th in the world in terms of gender empowerment measure (GEM).

DGBAS officials quoted the latest United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report as showing that in 2005, Norway, Sweden and Finland had the world's top three GEM indices, indicating that females in these countries have more opportunities to take part in formulating political and economic policies than in their counterparts in the rest of the world.

The UNDP began in 1995 to compile and publish GEM rankings, using data provided by surveyed countries on the numbers and ratios of female politicians and female executives at or above the managerial level, as well as on females' contribution in terms of gross domestic product.

In terms of GEM, Taiwan ranks high on the list in 19th position, well ahead of Japan's ranking of 55th and South Korea's 65th. In Asia, only Singapore has a higher ranking than Taiwan, placing 16th in the world.