Spain, Argentina, and Panama are the best countries in Ibero-America for women, says new Georgetown University report

The 2023-2024 "Women, Peace and Security Index" ranking analyzes data from 177 countries using 13 indicators ranging from education to proximity to conflict
 

Only two Ibero-American countries rank in the top 50 for women’s safety and inclusion, according to a new report from Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security. Spain, in 27th position, and Argentina, in 50th position, outperformed Panama (54th position), Uruguay (59th position), and Costa Rica (60th position).

However, the ranking designed alongside the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) reflects significant setbacks for Spain, which fell 13 positions compared to the 2021-2022 report.  In this regard, women’s perception of community safety saw the biggest decline between 2017 and 2023.

Meanwhile, Argentina fell back one position compared to the previous ranking. Nevertheless, there have been remarkable advancements in terms of financial inclusion and access to bank accounts in the country, an indicator that went from 50.9% to 73.8% from 2017 to the present.

The most notable progress in the region was seen in Panama, which moved up 29 positions on the list compared to 2021-2022. Georgetown University highlights the increase in years of schooling for women, greater financial inclusion, the rise in the use of cell phones, and the increase in parliamentary seats among the aspects that improved in the country since 2017.

The other Ibero-American countries and territories in the Top 100 are Chile (ranked 68th), Nicaragua and Peru (ranked 73rd in both cases), Bolivia (ranked 86th), Puerto Rico (ranked 88th) and Paraguay (ranked 89th). Mexico, which was ranked 88th in 2022, was relegated to 142nd place, the lowest in the region.

Five European countries lead the global list. Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, and Luxembourg fared the highest, while the last positions correspond to the Central African Republic, Yemen, and Afghanistan.

In this new edition, the study incorporated a new indicator that measures political violence against women. The latest data revealed that Mexico, Brazil, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Myanmar saw the highest rates of such violence in 2022.

Other indicators taken into account in the study include the absence of legal discrimination, access to justice, intimate partner violence, maternal mortality, and son bias.

Georgetown University underscores the close link between women’s well-being and countries’ prosperity and stability. "Notably, the 20 countries with the lowest ranking in this year’s index have all experienced armed conflict between 2021 and 2022," the press release states.

Author: Marina Vanni