Key Points
- Australia is the 11th best country in the world for women, according to the new Women, Peace and Security Index.
- Researchers examined indicators across aspects of security, justice and inclusion to come up with the rankings.
- Of the 177 countries analysed, Denmark was named the best for women, while Afghanistan was ranked worst.
Australia is the 11th best country in the world to be a woman, according to a new index that ranks 177 countries in terms of women’s inclusion, justice, and security.
The latest named Denmark the best country for women and Afghanistan the worst.
The analysis examined 13 indicators , community safety, financial inclusion, share of parliamentary seats, access to justice, and proximity to armed conflict.
The index, which is published by Georgetown University's Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the Norway-based Peace Research Institute, can be used to track trends, guide policymaking, and hold governments to account.
Here's how Australia compares to the rest of the world.
The top five countries for women are all located in Europe, according to the Women, Peace, Security Index. Source: SBS News
Is Australia a good country for women?
Compared with other countries, Australia performed well on maternal mortality, a key indicator of access to healthcare and the responsiveness of the system to women's needs.
Australia had 2.9 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
Norway was the best in the group with 1.7 deaths, while the United States was the worst with 21.1.
Australia also performed well on the 'son bias' indicator, which reflects a preference for boys and discrimination against women.
The index examined the number of male births per 100 female births, with Australia recording 105.6.
In terms of safety, Australia was equal best in its group for proximity to conflict, with 0 per cent of women living within 50km of armed conflict.
According to the report, armed conflict disproportionately affects women through multiple channels, including higher risks of gender-based violence, livelihood disruptions, worsening education systems, and diminishing healthcare access.
Israel was the worst in the group, with 97.2 per cent of women living in closer proximity to conflict.
But Australia ranked poorly compared to other countries for women's perception of community safety, with 54 per cent of women reporting that they feel safe walking alone at night in the area where they live.
While this was an increase from 48.7 per cent in 2017, it was significantly lower than Singapore, which was best in the group with 94 per cent of women reporting feeling safe.
Australia was also equal best in its group for financial inclusion, with 100 per cent of women aged 15 and older reporting having an individual or joint account at a bank or other financial institution.
The report also examined access to justice, measuring countries on a scale of zero to four for women's ability to bring cases to court and seek fair trials.
Australia received a 3.7, behind group leader Denmark which received 3.96.
Researchers said the results show that countries where women are doing well are also more peaceful, democratic, prosperous, and better prepared to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
