In this article we are going to take a look at the 30 worst countries for women’s rights.
History demonstrates that being a woman has never been simple, and this is still the case today with issues like income disparities, discrimination based on religion, and gender inequality, particularly in these 30 worst countries for women’s rights. Even though it is common knowledge that women work in teams, manage teams, attend schools, teach others, drive cars, own homes, have full control over their bodies, and so forth, there are countless locations worldwide where this is not the case or where it is not even considered a possibility. These actions aren’t conceivable primarily because of religious beliefs, and they occur in places where radical interpretations of holy texts are practiced, mostly for the benefit of national leaders.
30 worst countries for women’s rights
Puberty is often seen as a sign to restrict a girl’s freedom of movement, education, social interactions, sexuality, and life experiences. Because of societal expectations around gender roles, teenage females may also be disproportionately affected by household chores, pressure to be married, early pregnancy risks, and acts of sexual and gender-based abuse in these 30 worst countries for women’s rights.
As per the reports of UNICEF, Adolescent females between the ages of 10 and 14 are twice as likely as boys of the same period to devote excessive amounts of time—at least 21 hours a week—to home duties globally. Across the globe, 24% of teenage females between the ages of 15 and 19 are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), whereas just 12% of boys in the same age range are. Approximately thirteen million adolescent girls between the ages of 15 and 19—one in every 20—have at some point engaged in forced sex, one of the most severe types of sexual abuse that may occur in a woman or a girl. Approximately one in three females between the ages of 15 and 19 who have nationally representative statistics have experienced female genital mutilation (FGM).
The three criteria of inclusion, justice, and security were used by the Women, Peace, and Security Index to rank the situation of women in 177 different nations in 2023. The Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Syria, Eswatini (previously Swaziland), Somalia, and Iraq are on the list of the 30 worst countries for women’s rights.
Developed countries performed well overall in the rating. The country with the best ratings was Denmark, known for gender equality in the workplace, childcare, and educational settings. Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Austria, the Netherlands, and New Zealand were other countries that tied for first place. According to the ranking, women in sub-Saharan Africa have the lowest status worldwide, followed by those in the Middle East and North Africa. Nevertheless, the United Arab Emirates defies this pattern, surpassing a few emerging nations, including the U.S.
No nation has yet attained complete gender parity, according to the 2023 Global Gender Gap Index. However, the top nine—Iceland, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Germany, Nicaragua, Namibia, and Lithuania—have reduced at least 80% of their gaps. Iceland (91.2%) holds the top spot for the fourteenth consecutive year. Furthermore, it is the only nation to have reduced the gender gap by more than 90%.
Methodology
We looked through the most recent data and trends on Google News to determine the rating of the 30 worst countries for women’s rights. We also considered these articles from the Insider Monkey database: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
We have ranked these countries based on current issues that are still going on and, on the criteria, used by the Women’s Peace and Security Index in 2023. We have ranked the countries in descending order. Let’s have a look at the 30 worst countries for women’s rights.
30 Worst Countries for Women’s Rights – Dangerous Countries for Women
30- Comoros
There are 217 pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births in the Comoros. In the Comoros, the maternal mortality ratio decreased from 456 in 2000 to 217 in 2020. The Comoros have a lower maternal death rate than the average for the area. Compared to Sub-Saharan Africa, the Comoros has a lower adult female literacy rate. In the Comoros, the percentage of males and females in the labour force is 55.1% and 33.3%, respectively, for 2022.
29- Kenya
Kenya’s gender gap index score in 2023 was 0.71, which indicated that women had a roughly 27% lower chance of having the same opportunities as men. The majority of measures with higher gender differences focused on political empowerment. In Sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya came in at fifteen out of thirty-six countries.
28- Congo
The Republic of Congo’s laws, according to the OECD’s Social Institutions & Gender Index, disproportionately punish women for adultery, which is illegal, do not grant women the same rights as men in marriage, divorce, or inheritance, and they continue to allow child marriage of girls even though the law forbids it. Approximately 1 in 3 women experience violence at the hands of an intimate partner.
27- Mauritania
The biggest barrier to girls’ empowerment is the high percentage of females dropping out of school (18%) and child marriages (39%) caused by adolescent pregnancies. Women continue to participate in the labor market at a disproportionately low rate, with the majority of them working in the unorganized sector. They also have major obstacles regarding business, financing availability, and land and property ownership.
26- Madagascar
In Madagascar, 32% of women said that males had the right to abuse their wives or partners. There are hardly 4% of women in Madagascar’s political arena. Women’s Rights in Madagascar, where 24% of women experience abuse and are frequently shut out of the social, political, and economic arenas, education addresses the gender gap. Per the Women’s Peace and Security Index, it is among the 30 worst countries for women’s rights.
25- Djibouti
Although female genital mutilation has been prohibited in this East African nation that borders Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea since the 1980s, 78% of women and girls still undergo the procedure, according to UNICEF. Even in the poorest nations, just 41% of women in the country have access to a cell phone. This is an exceptionally low percentage. Approximately 27% of women have experienced violence from an intimate relationship.
24- Liberia
Gender-based violence, or GBV, is pervasive and frequently perceived as a personal, family issue. The Liberia Demographic and Health Survey for 2019–2020 reports that 9% of women aged 15–49 and 60% of women who have suffered physical violence have also experienced sexual violence. Of the women who have endured sexual or physical abuse, less than half (42%) have ever sought assistance.
23- Papua New Guinea
Compared to men, women and girls have much less access to health care and educational resources. In addition, women are significantly underrepresented in politics at all levels of government (there are only three female lawmakers out of 111). Girls and women are frequently seen as commodities that may be traded for cash, presents, or to settle tribal conflicts.
22- Guinea-Bissau
Nonetheless, gender equality in Guinea-Bissau still needs effort. Of the women in the 20–24 age group, 25.7% had been married or in a partnership before turning 18. In 2017, 84 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 decreased from 106.4 births per 1,000 in 2012. Women had just 13.7% of the parliamentary seats as of February 2021.
21- Palestine
Amnesty International notes that although apartheid is still practised in Palestine through “Israeli military occupation and discriminatory rule,” the human rights organization also highlights discrimination and internal corruption in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Women had worse rights than males in 2021 when it came to divorce, child custody, inheritance, and violence against women. Women who refused to give up their heritage or who fought for additional rights related to their status and received insufficient support from the government were assaulted by relatives.
20- Burkina Faso
Almost half of Burkinabe believe that marriage before the age 18 is appropriate, and nearly half of all women are married before that age. 90% of individuals think women should be responsible for providing unpaid care, and 70% do not think this labour should be shared. Less than 10% of Burkinabe women are represented in the national parliament, significantly less than the global average of 23.3%, indicating that they still need to be more represented in politics.
19- Mali
Women only earn around half as much as men, women’s literacy rates are just 29%, while men’s rates are approximately 48%. These are among the several factors contributing to the chart’s decline. In a nation where women have been able to vote since 1956, just 16 % of cabinet seats and only 9 % of parliamentary chairs are held by women. It makes Mali one of the 30 worst countries for women’s rights to live in.
18- Pakistan
Pakistan is also on the list of the 30 worst countries for women’s rights. Pakistan’s position in the WPS index is 158th out of 177. In Pakistan, Women’s financial inclusion is low (7%). Less than four years of education for female students. A little over 21% of women are employed. Significantly biased societal and legal structures, together with elevated rates of violence against intimate partners.
17- Cameroon
3.9 million People needed humanitarian aid in 2022. In addition, 979,000 individuals—94% of whom were women and girls—need services related to gender-based violence (GBV). With a 2019 HDI score of 0.563, the nation is ranked 153rd out of 189 countries in the “Average human development” category. With a 2019 Gender Inequality Index score of 0.560, Cameroon is ranked 141st out of 162 nations.
16- Nigeria
According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s (IPU) global rating of women in national parliaments, Nigeria ranked 184th out of 187 nations. Before this, in 2016, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba South) cautioned women to understand the boundaries of their freedom, seemingly quoting the Bible: “Every woman who has freedom must know that such freedom has limitations.” She has to be aware that a man is in charge of her.
15- Chad
Chad is one of the 30 worst countries for women’s rights. According to U.N. Women, around 18% of Chadian women had access to contemporary family planning techniques, and over 61% of women in the country’s 20–24 age group were married before turning 18. With an average attendance duration of about 1.3 years, women in this north-central African nation have some of the lowest rates of schooling in the whole globe, and just 37% of Chadian women use cell phones, which is among the lowest percentages in the world.
14- Sudan
According to the organization, “armed militia attacks on women farmers in conflict areas are resulting in increased levels of violence against them, including killing, injuries, and rape while they are farming or gathering wood and water.” 2.7 million Women and girls in Sudan require assistance for response, mitigation, and protection against violence. 10% of Sudanese women have a bank account, while only 25% are employed.
13- Myanmar
In Myanmar, where war and economic desperation have left women and girls vulnerable to being enticed to China with false promises and sold as “brides,” trafficking of women and girls is still a major issue. The Myanmar Anti-Human Trafficking Police Force recorded 94 incidents of trafficking involving 140 victims between January and September of last year, of which 68 were forced marriage trafficking into China.
12- Niger
Regretfully, even in situations of rape, girls and young women are frequently forced to marry the men who impregnate them, according to Human Rights Watch. According to statistics from the U.N. Women, 76% of Niger’s 20–24-year-old women were married before turning 18. Nigerian women use cell phones at an abnormally low rate—just 44%—even by developing country norms, making it as one of the 30 worst countries for women’s rights.
11- Haiti
Haiti is next on the list of 30 worst countries for women’s rights. There is no particular law against sexual harassment, domestic abuse, or other types of violence directed towards women and girls until June 2022. It was not until 2005 that rape was made a clear crime by ministerial order. Previously, abortion was illegal under any conditions. In addition, the penal law only permits abortions to be performed legally until the age of 18, lowering the legal age for consenting sex to 15.
10- Iraq
The 2023 WPS Index shows that, at 45%, Iraq, one of the 30 worst countries for women’s rights, has the highest rate of violence against women committed by an intimate relationship. Even though just 10% of Iraqi women work, almost all have mobile phones—a very high percentage for a nation with similar development rates. One rule that the London School of Economics and Political Science described as discriminatory against women in Iraq establishes the husband’s authority to punish the wife, even if the punishment—domestic violence, in many cases—was meted out “with honorable motives.”
9- Somalia
Nearly all Somali girls and women between the ages of 15 and 49 have undergone female genital mutilation, according to research by the U.N. Only over 1 in 5 women is estimated to be working on the WPS Index, and almost the same number report having experienced violence at the hands of an intimate partner. 2020 saw the parliament of Somalia create turmoil by passing a measure allowing forced and underage marriages in place of regulations protecting women and children from harm. Somalia is categorized as low on our list of 30 worst countries for women’s rights.
8- Eswatini
The majority of people living in this tiny landlocked country are Swazis. Only 46% of Eswatini women hold a job, and 19% of them say they have experienced domestic abuse at the hands of a close partner. According to a 2007 poll, one-third of females between the ages of 13 and 17 reported having been sexually abused before turning 18. This makes it 30 worst countries for women’s rights.
7- Syrian Arab Republic
Part of the reason Syria is ranked so low on our list of 30 worst countries for women’s rights is the ongoing “worst humanitarian disaster of our time.” Gender-based violence is normalized, and there is constant hunger, routine rape, and torture in hidden jails. Only 16.9% of Syrian women feel secure in their neighbourhoods, and 75 out of every 100,000 are assassinated by organized violence. Georgetown University reports that just 25% of women say intimate partner abuse.
6- Burundi
It is the fourth poorest country in the world which is still getting over a violent civil war that ended ten years ago. In that case, women and girls are more vulnerable to gender-based violence, losing the educational opportunities they have worked so hard to get and eventually being cut off from a better life. This is especially true in Burundi. It was placed 172nd out of 177 countries in the WPS Index for women’s security and rights in 2023. It makes Burundi one of the 30 worst countries for women’s rights.
5- South Sudan
South Sudan is one of the 30 worst countries for women’s rights, with detrimental gender stereotypes originating from a patriarchal culture. Women have relatively little capacity to make decisions in the home and are consistently excluded from political participation and decision-making. South Sudan was placed 173rd out of 177 countries in the WPS Index for women’s security and rights in 2023. Less than 5% of women in communities and society are financially included, and every 4th South Sudanese woman reports experiencing intimate partner abuse.
4- Democratic Republic of the Congo
Congo is next on the list of the 30 worst countries for women’s rights. According to the WPS, 25% of national laws are biased in favor of males. 51% of women in Congo are expected to face violence from an intimate partner. 37% of Congolese women have reported being married before turning 18. In the DRC, 124 females out of every 1,000 will become mothers between 15 and 19. Men are over twice as likely as women to complete secondary education (65.8% of men against 36.7% of women).
3- Central African Republic
The Central African Republic’s crisis has excessively affected its women. As stated by the WPS, in the CAR, women often only complete three years of education. Less than 9% of them are represented in the municipal parliament. Nevertheless, 1 in 5 women in Central Africa continue to experience abuse from a close relationship. Due to harmful gender norms such as early marriage, 61% of married women were already in a relationship when they turned eighteen.
2- Yemen
Yemen is the 2nd country on our list of 30 worst countries for women’s rights. In this case, women make around one-third of what males do, and only 2% hold top positions. Only 10% of ministerial posts are held by women, indicating that women are also underrepresented in the state’s institutions. Women are disadvantaged under sharia, the legislative law. The lack of access to healthcare and the high rate of early marriage in Yemeni society worsen the situation.
1- Afghanistan
Afghanistan is ranked 157th out of 162 nations on the U.N. Gender Inequality Index and last out of 177 countries on the WPS Index. When Afghan females are permitted to go to school, they often don’t remain for longer than two years. This is reflected in the nation’s financial inclusion of women, where the WPS is just 7.2%. An intimate relationship is the source of violence for 35 out of every 100 women. Honour murders are prohibited here, yet they are still common.