By Lisa Anderson
NEW YORK, June 13 (TrustLaw) – On one side of the border, a
woman can see a doctor for free and is guaranteed paid maternity
leave. On the other, most women do not qualify for free
healthcare and one in five under 65 does not have medical
insurance.
These differences and others make Canada the best country
among the world’s wealthiest nations to be a woman and keep the
United States out of the top five, according to a poll of
experts released on Wednesday by TrustLaw, a legal news service
run by Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The United States ranked sixth among the 19 countries in the
Group of 20 economies, excluding the European Union economic
grouping, in the global survey of 370 recognised gender
specialists.
Germany, Britain, Australia and France followed Canada in
that order, while India, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia polled the
worst.
Despite similarities between Canada and the United States in
education and economic opportunity, the countries are very
different in the area of gender equality, the experts said.
Canada’s constitution promotes and safeguards women’s rights
while a lack of concensus over reproductive rights in particular
erodes them in the United States, experts said.
“Canada leads the pack with its promotion of women’s access
and opportunities across various sectors of society, including
education, economic participation and healthcare,” said Sarah
Degnan Kambou, president of the International Center for
Research on Women in Washington, which took part in the survey.
The poll showed how the lack of universal health care and
the struggle over abortion rights in the United States –
important issues ahead of the November presidential election –
were key to perceptions of women’s freedoms in the country,
according to the experts polled.
Respondents came from 63 countries on five continents and
included aid professionals, academics, health workers,
policymakers, journalists and development specialists with
experience in gender issues. Representatives of faith-based
organisations were also surveyed.
Continued…
