gender gap

noun

1. the differences between women and men, especially as reflected in social, political, intellectual, cultural, or economic attainments or attitudes.

gender gap

1. A phrase marking the trend in recent U.S. presidential elections, whereby more female than male voters support the Democratic party candidate and more male than female voters support the Republican party candidate.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gender gap¹

First recorded in 1980–85

Idioms and Phrases

A broad difference between men and women, as in There is still an enormous gender gap in the wages of unskilled labor. This expression at first referred to the difference between men and women in voting preferences. It has since been extended to other areas. [1970s]

Example Sentences

According to the 2025 gender gap index by the World Economic Forum, Japan ranked 118th among 148 countries, with female representation in the field of politics notably low.

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In 2017 she set up Girls Code, a non-profit association which aims to close the tech gender gap.

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As health leaders and advocates gather to discuss what they describe as a "stark" gender gap, calls are growing for urgent action to tackle the inequality.

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Reform knows it has to do more to attract female voters as well - although there are already signs the party's gender gap is starting to narrow.

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Yet despite these incentives, critics highlight a glaring gender gap.

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