--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Geographic, in conjunction with the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the Peace Research Institute Oslo, today announced the 2019-2020 Women, Peace, and Security Index, which ranked 167 countries from best to worst places to be a woman.
Norway ranked first in the world, the United States came in at #19 and Yemen came in last.
KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:
- Ninety percent of the world’s countries have one or more laws that discriminate against women.
- China has the highest rate of male bias with 115 males born per 100 females.
- Nearly 75 percent of men in Pakistan believe it’s unacceptable for women to have a paid job. Disapproval exceeds 50 percent in Bangladesh, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan.
- About 379 million women experienced intimate partner violence in 2018. Yearly rates are a third higher in conflict-affected countries.
- Countries such as Rwanda, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Armenia, and Benin have recently made notable gains in women’s education, financial access, or representation in the national legislature.
- The global gender gap in employment spans 30 percentage points, with exceptions: Ninety-three percent of Rwandan women work.
- Women in Estonia receive an average of 14 years of education—nearly double the global average.
- In Bahrain a new mandate says a woman can go out of her home only with her husband’s permission.
- In Iran financial inclusion ranks high: More than 90 percent of women have a banking or other type of account.
Read the full story and see the 2019 Index illustrated in the November issue of National Geographic HERE.
The November issue, which kicks off the magazine's yearlong celebration of women who fearlessly push boundaries and inspire the next generation of changemakers, is available online now at natgeo.com/womenofimpact. Throughout the year, National Geographic will explore the lives of women and the massive changes underway for girls and women around the globe across print, digital and broadcast platforms.
In addition to the November issue, National Geographic today has also published a book, "WOMEN: The National Geographic Image Collection," and will be airing a new special, WOMEN OF IMPACT: Changing the World, on October 26 at 10/9c. An exhibit in Washington, DC, "Women: A Century of Change" will be on display from October 22 through Spring 2020.
