Women, Peace and Security Index 2019

Women’s inclusion, justice, and security matter. They matter to women and to their families, communities, and economies and societies at large. The world is more secure, peaceful, and prosperous when women are accorded full and equal rights and opportunities. The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index systematically measures and ranks women’s well-being worldwide (box 1). This update reveals that only one country (Iceland) performs well in every aspect of women’s lives captured by the WPS Index. The need to advance gender equality is truly a universal agenda. The good news is that trends in women’s empowerment are heading in the right direction globally. Some 59 countries recorded significant progress since the first edition, while only one country (Yemen) experienced major deterioration. The WPS Index reveals the wide spectrum of performance around the world. The 167 countries ranked in 2019 have scores ranging from .904 (Norway) to .351 (Yemen), where 1 is the best possible score and 0 is the worst. Norway is followed by Switzerland, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland.