High female employment often coincides with flexible work laws. Countries like the Nordics balance strong protections (parental leave, childcare) with adaptable hiring/firing rules.
Legal reforms drive inclusion. Equal-pay mandates and quotas (e.g. in MENA states) can boost women’s labour supply. Firms should track and implement such policies.
Employers should offer flexibility (hybrid roles, part-time options) and childcare support. These measures attract and retain female talent in any country.
AI recruitment and unbiased hiring tools can help find and engage qualified women candidates from diverse backgrounds.
Global analysis ranks countries by female workforce participation, highlighting top performers such as Iceland, Sweden, and Canada, where representation exceeds 80%. Emerging economies like Rwanda and Uganda also excel due to targeted policies. These rankings underscore best practices in education, childcare support, and gender-inclusive legislation that drive women’s sustained employment.
Labour market flexibility rankings evaluate legal and regulatory frameworks that enable adaptive employment. Countries such as Singapore, Australia, and Switzerland lead with robust hiring and termination protocols, minimal red tape, and dynamic contract options. High-ranking nations foster entrepreneurship and scalable hiring models, enhancing competitiveness and resilience in changing economic environments.
Ranking Countries by Female Workforce Participation (2025)
1. Iceland (Europe)
Iceland tops the world in gender parity. About 70.1% of Icelandic women participate in the labor force. Progressive policies (generous parental leave, affordable childcare) and flexible work rules help women balance career and family. Iceland has closed ~91% of its gender gap, reflecting strong equality measures.
2. Sweden (Europe)
Sweden’s female participation (~63.4%) is among the highest. Employers benefit from a well-educated female talent pool. Thanks to flexible job protections and investment in training, Sweden scores highly on workforce resilience indicesconsultancy-me.com. Its emphasis on paternity leave and part-time options sustains female employment levels.
3. United States (North America)
US women comprise ~56.5% of its labour force. The US ranks first in a global resilience index for its “flexible labour markets”. Relatively loose hiring/firing rules and widespread remote-work adoption mean firms can quickly adjust and tap female talent. Silicon Valley’s focus on tech and innovation has spurred new opportunities for women.
4. Singapore (Asia)
Singapore’s female participation is about 61.6% , well above the world average. The city-state’s economy offers strong labor flexibility, leading Asia in startup growth and AI adoption. Women benefit from government-backed childcare and retraining programmes. Singapore also has anti-discrimination laws and encourages tech careers for women, helping to sustain their workforce role.
5. New Zealand
New Zealand has ~67.6% women in its labor force. The government couples this with family-friendly labor rules (e.g., paid parental leave, and flexible scheduling). A culture of work-life balance and strong social safety nets makes it easier for women to work. New Zealand’s agility in adopting workplace flexibility has kept its participation rates high.
6. Norway (Europe)
About 61.8% of women workin Norway. Norway blends strong labor protections with flexible work arrangements, such as guaranteed part-time options and extensive childcare support. These policies encourage women to stay employed through life changes. Norway also imposes boardroom quotas and fair-pay regulations, making its labor market more inclusive for women.
7. Germany (Europe)
Germany’s female participation (~56.5%) ranks near the OECD average. In recent years, Germany has invested in flexible apprenticeships and public childcare to draw women back into work. It also closed about 81.5% of its gender gap in 2023. Moderate hiring regulations and subsidies for employers (to avoid layoffs) keep Germany's labor market fairly flexible while still protecting workers.
8. Rwanda (Africa)
Rwanda leads Africa with ~55.1% female participation. Its government actively promotes women in leadership and enforces equality laws. Labor laws allow women to work under wide conditions, and gender quotas ensure women fill jobs in the public and private sectors. These measures make Rwanda one of the few African countries where women are nearly on par with men in work participation.
9. United Arab Emirates (GCC/MENA)
The UAE's female workforce share has dramatically increased to about 58% by 2019. In 2019–2020, it enacted sweeping reforms: equal pay for equal work, paid parental leave, and travel/travel rights for women. These changes have made the UAE the top GCC performer on gender indicators. The UAE’s labor market is also highly flexible, with few restrictions on hiring and a large private sector that actively recruits women.
10. Saudi Arabia (GCC/MENA)
Saudi women now account for ~34.5% of the workforce, up from much lower levels a decade ago. The government’s Vision 2030 reform plan has eased many barriers: removing strict guardianship rules, increasing education access, and setting targets (40% female participation by 2030). As a result, private companies are adding women in new sectors (finance, IT, retail). While Saudi labor laws remain conservative by Western standards, gradual deregulation (especially for women’s employment) improves flexibility.
11. Bahrain (GCC/MENA)
In Bahrain, ~44.1% of the workforce is female. The country applies ‘Bahrainization’ quotas, aiming to hire more nationals, but it also supports women’s employment through training and part-time work schemes. Bahrain’s relatively small market has driven firms to tap underused female talent. Its labor rules are moderate: employers must offer maternity leave and protect women’s job security, contributing to higher female participation.
12. Canada (North America)
Canada’s female labor participation is about 61.1%. A flexible work culture (e.g., statutory parental leave, and flexible schedules) helps. Canada has no forced quotas, but provinces and industries practice pay equity and anti-discrimination laws. The country’s openness to skilled immigrants also brings professional women into the workforce. Canada’s labor market combines firm protections with flexibility, making it relatively easy for women to enter and stay in the workforce.
Predictions for GCC Female Workforce Trends by 2030
Most forecasts show improvement,, but significant gaps will remain by 2030. For example, WEF projects that at the current pace, global gender parity won’t be reached for ~134 years. Practically, even aggressive goals by 2030 will fall short of equality. Key trends and targets include:
Saudi Arabia
Through Vision 2030 reforms, female participation rose from ~17% (2018) to ~35% (2024). The government now targets around 40% by 2030, which would add millions of women to the labor force. Ongoing efforts (e.g., encouraging women entrepreneurs, 45% of SMEs are now female-led) should continue to drive this increase.
GCC General
The UAE and Qatar already report very high rates (UAE ~55.4% in 2023; Qatar ~64.1%), which are well above the global average. By 2030, Gulf states plan pto implement policies (like quotas, women’s economic councils, and childcare) to maintain or slightly boost these levels. Oman and Bahrain (around 30–32%) have more room to grow. In contrast, Kuwait and Oman have no recent major targets, but regional momentum suggests modest gains.
Regional MENA
The Middle East & North Africa’s average is the world’s lowest (~19% as of 2023), but improvements are underway. For instance, Jordan aims to double female labor participation from 14% to 28% by 2033. Egypt and Morocco have smaller increases. Cultural norms and policy (childcare, transport) will shape progress. By 2030, many MENA nations could see female rates in the 25–40% range, still below advanced-economy averages.
Global Outlook
World Bank and ILO projections suggest the pace remains mixed. On one hand, continuing reforms (parental leave expansion, flexible work policies) are expected to gradually nudge participation up. For example, expanding childcare access can add roughly 1 percentage point to women’s participation initially and twice that effect over five years. On the other hand, without major shifts (such as new quotas or major cultural change), large regions will remain below parity.
2030 Summary
Overall, by 2030, we expect a modest rise in female workforce share worldwide. Leading economies (Nordics, Anglophone, some high-income Asia) will keep participation above 60-70%, while many emerging markets move from 30% into 40%. The GCC (especially Saudi, UAE, and Qatar) will likely exceed 40% by 2030, propelled by national strategies. Yet global parity is distant: achieving it will require sustained policy support and cultural change far beyond 2030.
Predictions at a glance
By 2030, Saudi Arabia will be 40%, UAE/Qatar will remain in the 60% range, and Jordan will be 28%. The global gap is still wide, and parity is centuries away. Key policies (childcare expansion, anti-bias hiring, skill training) will be crucial to accelerate these trends.
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