The average Women's Empowerment Index (WEI) score worldwide is 0.607, meaning that globally, women are only empowered to achieve 60 percent of their full potential. Australia and New Zealand have the highest scores out of each region, while Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest. Participation in decision making is the lowest-scoring area for each region, and overall, there is no region that has achieved a perfect score.
Women's Empowerment Index scores worldwide in 2023, by region
The WEI measures women and girl's achievement in expanding their capabilities across five dimensions to make choices and seize opportunity in life from zero to one. These dimensions include:
Life and good health: Modern contraception access and adolescent birth rates.
Education, skill-building, and knowledge: The female population that has completed secondary school or higher, the female population not pursuing education or employment.
Labor and financial inclusion: Female labor force participation in households with children, female financial account ownership.
Participation in decision making: Share of seats in parliament held by women, share of seats in local government held by women, share of managerial positions held by women.
Freedom from violence: Intimate partner violence among ever-partnered women and girls.
In the overall, labor and financial inclusion, and participation in decision making areas, there is no data for Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand.
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UN Women, & UNDP. (July 18, 2023). Women's Empowerment Index scores worldwide in 2023, by region [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 14, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1419077/womens-empowerment-index-wei-region/
UN Women, und UNDP. "Women's Empowerment Index scores worldwide in 2023, by region." Chart. July 18, 2023. Statista. Accessed October 14, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1419077/womens-empowerment-index-wei-region/
UN Women, UNDP. (2023). Women's Empowerment Index scores worldwide in 2023, by region. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 14, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1419077/womens-empowerment-index-wei-region/
UN Women, and UNDP. "Women's Empowerment Index Scores Worldwide in 2023, by Region." Statista, Statista Inc., 18 Jul 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1419077/womens-empowerment-index-wei-region/
UN Women & UNDP, Women's Empowerment Index scores worldwide in 2023, by region Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1419077/womens-empowerment-index-wei-region/ (last visited October 14, 2024)
Women's Empowerment Index scores worldwide in 2023, by region [Graph], UN Women, & UNDP, July 18, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1419077/womens-empowerment-index-wei-region/