10 Worst Countries For Women

Gender-based bias and injustice are widespread issues in many countries, affecting millions of women daily. Various studies measure this poor treatment through different methods, resulting in reports highlighting the severity of the situation. The 2021-2022 Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Report stands out. This report ranked 170 countries based on the National Index Score, reflecting women’s peace and security. The findings reveal some truly horrific actions behind the statistics, especially in the ten worst countries for women, according to the report.

1. Afghanistan – 0.278 (170/170)

Afghanistan is considered the worst country for women due to its deeply rooted gender roles and decades of conflict. It ranks at the bottom of the 170-country list in the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index and is 157th out of 162 countries in the UN Gender Inequality Index. The WPS also reports that only 7.2% of women in Afghanistan have financial inclusion. Civil liberties for women are extremely limited, leading to one of the highest rates of intimate partner violence, with 35% of women experiencing domestic abuse. Additionally, 37% of Afghan women are illiterate, and many are forced out of education. Most girls in Afghanistan do not attend school beyond second grade, and one-third are married by the age of 18, facing a high risk of mortality during pregnancy. Illegal honor killings are also a widespread practice in the country.

2. Syria – 0.375 (169/170)

Syria is consistently ranked among the worst countries for women, especially in terms of justice, security, and inclusion. The ongoing conflict, described as the “worst humanitarian disaster of our time,” has drastically worsened the situation for women in this traditionally patriarchal society since it began in March 2011. Syria ranks very low on the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index, partly due to widespread rape, torture in secret prisons, persistent malnutrition, and normalized gender-based violence. This violence severely impacts the health, dignity, security, and autonomy of women in Syria.

Women in Syria gained the right to vote in national elections only in the mid-1950s, and honor killings were criminalized just in 2020. However, marriage is still a contract between the husband and the father of the wife. Alarmingly, 75 out of every 100,000 Syrian women are killed in organized violence, and only 16.9% of women feel safe in their communities. According to Georgetown University, there is a “massive” number of conflict-related sexual violence cases, though only 25% of women report intimate partner violence. The situation is even worse for Syrian refugee women.

3. Yemen – 0.388 (168/170)

Yemen’s deep-rooted gender inequality places women in an extremely vulnerable position, stemming from a patriarchal society and rigid gender roles. Both tradition and modern culture in Yemen promote negative attitudes toward women, worsened by a discriminatory legal system and significant economic inequality. Only 6.04% of Yemeni women are in the workforce, and “Article 40” of Yemen’s Personal Status Law restricts women’s work opportunities, requiring their husband’s approval for employment. There are no legal protections against sexual harassment at work, and society often blames women for such incidents.

The ongoing conflict in Yemen has devastating consequences for women and girls, who are considered secondary in society. The country faces a severe economic crisis, with damaged infrastructure and collapsed services. Extreme shortages of food, water, sanitation, and healthcare make it nearly impossible for women to provide for their families. Cultural gender norms also limit their mobility and access to help. Women in Yemen have no legal right to make important family decisions, no protection against spousal abuse, and face further abuse or arrest if they try to report it.

4. Pakistan – 0.476 (167/170)

In the 2021 Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index, Pakistan is ranked 167th out of 170 countries, making it one of the worst places for women. Women in Pakistan face extreme discrimination throughout their lives. Girls typically receive less than four years of education, and child marriage is common. The employment rate for women is just 21%, with only 7% having financial inclusion. Violence against women, including rape, illegal honor killings, and acid attacks, is widespread, and male dominance in the household is normalized.

Gender discrimination in Pakistan is deeply rooted in legal frameworks, societal roles, and cultural norms. There are also significant differences in women’s rights across the provinces, which skew the national averages. These differences often mask the severe poverty and gender inequality in the lowest-ranked provinces, where conditions for women are four times worse than in the highest-ranking areas.

5. Iraq – 0.516 (166/170)

In October 2019, Iraq gained attention for protest movements where many journalists were threatened and killed, particularly in central and southern regions. Militia groups were accused of arresting, kidnapping, and brutally shooting reporters, adding to Iraq’s 17 unsolved journalist murders over the past 15 years. The female population in Iraq suffers greatly from ongoing war and sectarian violence, especially as debates continue over discriminatory laws that foster gender inequality.

Iraq consistently ranks among the worst countries for women due to enduring laws and normalized gender-based violence. In 2010, one in five Iraqi women faced domestic violence, and by 2012, at least 36% of married women had experienced intimate partner abuse. A UN Women report confirms that Iraq’s gender gap is widening, with women and girls having “limited participation in significant fields.”

6. South Sudan – 0.541(165/170)

South Sudan is one of the worst countries for women, where harmful gender norms are deeply rooted in a traditionally patriarchal society. Ongoing conflict worsens these imbalances both in communities and at home. Women are consistently excluded from decision-making and political activities, and they have very little power to make decisions within their households. Men have control over their intimate partners without land rights or resource ownership.

In the 2021 Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index, South Sudan ranked 165th out of 170 countries for women’s rights and security. The country also has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world, with at least one woman dying out of every 100 due to complications during pregnancy or childbirth. Financial inclusion for women is less than 5%, and one in four South Sudanese women reports experiencing intimate partner violence.

7. Democratic Republic Of Congo – 0.547 (163/170)

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) ranks 163rd out of 170 countries on the 2021 Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index and 150th out of 162 on the UN’s 2020 Gender Inequality Index. The country shows little progress toward gender equality, with inequalities in every sector. DR Congo is one of the least developed nations in the world, with over 7.5 million citizens in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Despite its abundant natural resources, DR Congo remains impoverished and unstable.

Discrimination against women in DR Congo starts with biased national laws, creating a culture where poor treatment of women is normalized. In 2010, a UN representative referred to DR Congo as the “rape capital of the world,” with a study revealing 48 rapes every hour. About 37% of Congolese women experience intimate partner violence within a year, and more than half will face such violence at some point in their lives. Additionally, 37% of girls are married before 18, and 124 out of every 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19 will have at least one child. 65.8% of men receive education beyond primary school, but only 36.7% of women.

8. Chad – 0.547 (163/170)

According to the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index, Chad ranks as the eighth-worst country for women and 160th out of 162 countries on the UN’s 2020 Gender Inequality Index. Child marriage is very common in Chad, with the median age being 16 for girls and 22 for boys, as reported in 2015 by Concern. According to one interviewee, “early marriage is a custom” that puts girls’ lives at risk due to “pregnancy, surgery, death, and also several cases of running away.”

Chad has the second-highest maternal mortality rate in the world, with 1,140 deaths for every 100,000 live births. On average, women in Chad complete less than two years of education and are severely underrepresented in the national parliament. The country once ranked worst for female genital mutilation until the Reproductive Health Law was enacted two decades ago. Since these statistics were made public, the percentage of women reporting intimate partner violence has decreased.

9. Sudan – 0.556 (162/170)

According to UNICEF, over a third of Sudanese women aged 15 to 49 believe that their intimate partner has the right to beat them under certain circumstances. A significant proportion of women aged 20 to 24 were married or in a union before their 18th birthday. Despite these challenges, several advances in women’s rights have been in Sudan since 2019. This includes the criminalization of female genital mutilation and reaching the goal of 40% female representation in the transitional parliament.

Some restrictive laws on women’s rights were revoked, giving women more freedom in their personal lives and work. However, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed this progress, and by 2021, the number of women in parliament had dropped to 22%.

10. Sierra Leone – 0.563 (161/170)

Although relatively peaceful for the past two decades, Sierra Leone has made slow progress on gender inequality. The Ebola epidemic from 2014 to 2016 worsened the situation, leading to a surge in unplanned teen pregnancies. According to the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index, only 45.8% of women feel safe walking alone at night in their communities. Outdated gender norms and widespread female genital mutilation (FGM) persist, with 90% of women and girls aged 15 to 49 experiencing some form of FGM in their lifetime.

Sierra Leone also has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with 1,120 women dying out of every 100,000 from complications during pregnancy or childbirth. Most women receive less than three years of schooling, and teachers often ignore gender-based violence in schools. Efforts like the “Safe Learning Model” are being developed to address and stop the normalization of poor treatment of women from a young age.

These are among the worst countries for women based on their peace and security, out of 170 countries. Despite some advancements, progress on gender equality is hindered by conflict, underdevelopment, and traditional patriarchy, causing many women to endure unimaginable suffering every day around the world.

The WPSI Index (2021-22); best country for women (rank1) – worst country for women (rank 170)

Conclusion

the 10 worst countries for women, as highlighted by the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index, paint a grim picture of gender inequality and the daily struggles women face. Despite some progress, these nations are plagued by conflict, poverty, and deeply entrenched patriarchal systems that perpetuate violence, discrimination, and limited opportunities for women. From high rates of child marriage and maternal mortality to widespread gender-based violence and lack of access to education and healthcare, women in these countries endure unimaginable hardships. While global awareness and efforts to improve women’s rights continue, much work remains to ensure that women in these regions can live safely, with dignity and equality.

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