Japan drops to 105 in global gender equality ranking

According to the 2013 gender gap rankings released Friday by the World Economic Forum, Japan ranked 105th among 136 countries, taking the lowest spot among industrialized countries. Japan's ranking has fallen for three consecutive year, which was blamed on a decline in the number of female lawmakers, one of the key factors assessed by the Swiss-based think tank. The report said it "assesses countries on how well they are dividing their resources and opportunities among their male and female populations, regardless of the overall levels of these resources and opportunities." The 2013 report covers 136 major and emerging economies. Iceland topped the list for the fifth consecutive year, followed by Finland and Norway. Among the Pacific basin countries, the Philippines came in fifth. The United States was 23rd and China 69th. South Korea placed 111th.