In a recent NY Times Economix blog entry, Nancy Folbre, UMass Amherst economics professor, discusses some of the different measures that are used to compare the status of women amongst the world’s countries. Rankings vary depending on which index you look at, however none of them rank the United States in the top 10. “Despite these differences, a clear pattern emerges. Scandinavian countries that have made gender equality an explicit goal and implemented policies such as universal child care and paid family leaves almost always land on the top of the list. The United States lags far behind.” (Economix, 3/8/2010)