The Global Gender Gap report for 2015 reported that the United States is ranked 28 out of 145 countries included in a survey about gender inequality. Iceland is ranked number one, being the most equal country, while Yemen comes in at last place.

This ranking for the United States has dropped from the previous year where they were ranked at 20. According to an article in USA Today, one reason for the drop is there are fewer women in high government positions.

On March 3, Stanford University sociology professor and author Cecilia Ridgeway will come to Weber State University to discuss “How Does Gender Inequality Persist in the Modern World?” as part of the 2016 Weber State University College of Social & Behavioral Sciences Distinguished Lecture Series.

Ridgeway is the author of “Framed by Gender: How Gender Inequality Persists in the Modern World,” in which she discusses how gender can dictate the roles women play in society.

“Dr. Ridgeway argues that when we’re placed in new situations, we often revert back to traditional gender beliefs to guide our behavior. She calls this ‘cultural lag,’ even if we don’t realize we’re doing it,” Huiying Wei Hill, committee chair of the Social & Behavioral Sciences Distinguished Lecture series, said in a press release. “In some circumstances, women unconsciously do this more than men.”

This event is free to the public. It will be held in the Hurst Center Dumke Legacy Hall on March 3 at 7:30 p.m. For more information on this event, contact Huiying Wei Hill at 801-626-7888.