Education
Education is critical to women’s opportunities, freedom from violence, and health. Years of schooling is a more precise measure than, for example, secondary school completion. Our Index captures the average number of years of education of women ages 25 and older.
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics
| 2021 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Country Score | Germany (13.9 years) | Canada, Iceland (13.9) |
| Worst Country Score | Burkina Faso (1.1) | Guinea (1.3) |
| Global Average | 8.1 | 8.3 |
| Best Regional Average | Developed Countries (12.9) | |
| Worst Regional Average | Sub-Saharan Africa (5) |
Notable Finding: In 40 countries, women have gone to school for 5 years or less.
Employment
Employment reflects women’s economic opportunities, which are central to realizing women’s capabilities and freedoms. It is preferred to labor force participation because it excludes unemployment. Our Index captures the percentage of women ages 25 to 64 who are employed in the formal or informal sector.
Source: ILOSTAT database
| 2021 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Country Score | Burundi (91.8%) | Madagascar (90.1%) |
| Worst Country Score | Yemen (5.2%) | Yemen (5.5%) |
| Global Average | 46.5% | 53.1% |
| Best Regional Average | Developed Countries (71.3%) | |
| Worst Regional Average | Middle East and North Africa (21.6%) |
Notable Finding: In ten countries around the world, less than 20 percent of working age women are employed. Seven of these countries are from the MENA region: Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, and Yemen.
Financial Inclusion
Financial inclusion allows individuals to smooth consumption, manage risk, attain financial autonomy, invest in education and health, and independently start and expand a business. Our Index measures the percentage of women ages 15 and older who report having an individual or joint account at a bank or other financial institution or who report using a mobile money service in the past year.
Source: World Bank Global Findex Database
| 2021 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Country Score | Denmark (100%) | Multiple (100%) |
| Worst Country Score | Yemen (1.7%) | South Sudan (4.2%) |
| Global Average | 63.6% | 70.5% |
| Best Regional Average | Developing Countries (98.1%) | |
| Worst Regional Average | Fragile States (34.3%) |
Notable Finding: In the Fragile States group, only 34 percent of women on average have access to their own bank accounts, signaling barriers to economic autonomy. Financial inclusion is also a security issue, because when women don’t have access to their own financial resources, they are less able to leave abusive relationships or flee unstable settings.
Cellphone Use
Cellphone use is increasingly recognized as core to people’s opportunities to be informed about and participate in the economy, society, and politics. Our Index captures the percentage of women ages 15 years and older who report having a mobile phone that they use to make and receive personal calls.
Source: Gallup World Poll 2018
| 2021 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Country Score | Libya (100%) | Multiple (100%) |
| Worst Country Score | South Sudan (27%) | Pakistan (32%) |
| Global Average | 84.7% | 80.4% |
| Best Regional Average | East Asia and the Pacific (95%) | |
| Worst Regional Average | South Asia (54.9%) |
Notable Finding: In South Asia, the worst-performing region on this indicator, women are also 41 percent less likely than men to use mobile internet, compared to the 16 percent average gap across all lower and middle income countries.
Parliamentary Representation
This is the most widely available measure of women’s political participation. Our Index captures the percentage of seats held by women in lower and upper houses of national parliament.
Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union
| 2021 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Country Score | Rwanda (55.7%) | Rwanda (54.7%) |
| Worst Country Score | Papua New Guinea (0%) | Yemen (0.3%) |
| Global Average | 25.5% | 26.3% |
| Best Regional Average | Latin America and the Caribbean (31.2%) | |
| Worst Regional Average | Middle East and North Africa (15.5%) |
Notable Finding: Women are equally or overrepresented in national parliaments in only five countries: Rwanda, Nicaragua, Mexico, the UAE, and New Zealand.