The Netherlands has slipped yet again in the World Economic Forum’s global gender gap rankings for 2017. The country is now ranked 32nd in the world in gender equality, down from 16th in 2016, the WEF said in a new report, out on Thursday.

The Netherlands scored less well in terms of political representation as well as economic participation and opportunity, the WEF said.

However, in terms of education, the Netherlands registered the highest possible score along with 26 other countries.

Iceland again topped the list, as it did in 2016, followed by Norway and Finland, with Rwanda in a surprise fourth place. A total of 144 countries were surveyed.

NOS decided to check out the figures for Rwanda – could the African country really be so far ahead of the Netherlands? the broadcaster asked.

In the Netherlands, one third of politicians are female while in Rwanda, which introduced a 30% quota in 2003, 64% of members of parliament are women, NOS said.

In addition, equal pay pay is better organised and more women have senior corporate jobs.

Education and culture minister Ingrid van Engelshoven told news agency ANP in a reaction that the report shows much still has to be done.

‘It is good that we do have equal opportunities in education but things start to go wrong with the jobs market,’ she said. ‘There is indeed a great deal of inequality in terms of income and there is no good economic reason to justify that.’