Data consistently show that women are underrepresented at all levels of decision-making worldwide and that achieving gender parity in political life is far off. Yet some nations are doing better than others.
Which are the most female-empowered countries in Europe? According to a new survey this is Iceland. As an example, 48 percent of Parliament seats are held by women. This is the highest among European nations. Iceland also ranks among the top countries for female education, with 70.6 percent of women completing a university or higher education degree.
The top ten most women-empowered countries in Europe are as according to a new study by global data and AI consulting firm Artefact. The report does not take into account non-binary or other identities.
To assess the position of women, the firm analysed a wide range of data for each European country, including the gender pay gap, the percentage of female graduates, female business leaders and government representatives, workplace laws and the average retirement age with full benefits for women. These data were then used to give each country a score out of 100.
The research gathered data from various official sources, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), and the World Bank.
Europe’s top 10 most female-empowered nations
- Iceland: 74.0/100
- Lithuania: 71.7/100
- Belgium: 69.5/100
- Poland: 68.6/100
- Sweden: 68.4/100
- Finland: 65.5100
- Norway: 64.8/100
- Slovenia: 62.5/100
- Denmark: 62.3/100
- Romania: 61.3/100
As indicated above, scoring 74 out of 100, Iceland is the best country for women’s empowerment in Europe. Iceland does not score high on very measure: it comes in 79th in educational attainment and 128th for female health and survival. This indicates there remains considerable work to be done even in the highest ranking country to address gender parity.
Lithuania, ranking second, boasts the highest number of women serving as CEOs (22.2 percent). Belgium, ranking third, is the closest among the top ten European countries to achieving equal pay, with the gender wage gap standing at just 1.1 percent.
Poland has the lowest retirement age (60) with full benefits for women, putting them in the top spot for this metric. In terms of education, Finland has 77.8 percent of female graduates, the highest among all European nations.
Where does the UK stand?
Scoring 58.4 out of 100, the UK ranks down in 13th place, just after France. OECD data reveals that women earn 14 percent less than men in the UK. However, when looking at women’s representation in leadership positions, the UK ranks in the top five, with women holding 35 percent of Parliament seats, 39 percent of senior management roles and 14.6 percent of CEO positions.
The UK is also among the top countries with the most female graduates, with 63.8 percent of women finishing their first degree programmes in tertiary education.
