London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

In a ranking of the best countries for women, the U.S. isn't even in the top 10-here's why

In a ranking of the best countries for women, the U.S. isn't even in the top 10-here's why

In a new ranking of the world’s best countries, the United States isn’t first-it’s seventh. And among the best countries for women, it doesn’t even make the top 10 of 80 nations considered-it’s fifteenth, according to U.S. News and World Report. (At least it’s still first when it comes to “power”?)
To determine the best countries for women, U.S. News considered each nation’s stance on human rights, gender equality, income equality, progressivism, and safety. These five attributes carried equal weight. American citizens enjoy plenty of privileges others around the world do not. But as the world’s most powerful country, we can do better.

The survey used to score and rank countries was developed by BAV Group and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in consultation with U.S. News and World Report. Over 20,000 people from across the globe were presented with 65 country attributes and asked how closely they associated an attribute with a particular nation. (Denmark is best for women with promotion of gender equality; Switzerland earns top spot as the best country in the world.) The attributes were grouped into nine subrankings, like citizenship (which considered human rights, gender equality, and progressivism) and quality of life (which looked at income equality and safety, among others).

Women’s reproductive rights are human rights. And the onslaught of proposed, passed, and blocked anti-abortion legislation in 2019 wasn’t overlooked by the rankings. “This is a deliberate attempt to bring a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade and to end the right to access safe, legal abortions in this country,” said Leana Wen, MD, the former president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund in a May 2019 press call in response to attacks on reproductive rights. For now, abortion remains legal in all 50 states.

As for income, women have to work harder and complete higher levels of education than men to make the same amount of money. Research from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research shows that in 2018, women earned 82 percent of what men earned. And that gap widens when you put race into the mix. Black women make 62 percent of what white men did in 2019, and Latinx women made 55 percent.

Safety is also a huge concern for women in the U.S. A 2018 survey by the Thomson Reuters Foundation ranked the U.S. as the 10th least safe nation (out of the 193 United Nations member states) for women. And gun violence in this country is certainly a public health crisis. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 419 mass shootings last year, and so far, there have been eight in 2020.

The United States seriously lags behind its peers when it comes to women’s rights. Hopefully 2020 comes along with some policy changes that help to even out the playing field. It’s an election year after all.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×