Where in Europe is it best to be a woman?

The 2023 Women, Peace and Security Index was launched on Tuesday, ranking countries around the world in terms of the status of women. 

The Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), which co-authored the index, found many of the best countries in the world to be a woman are in Europe, though there are significant variations across the region. 

It noted that societies where women are doing well are also more peaceful, democratic, prosperous and better prepared to adapt to climate change. 

Researchers warned, however, in their report that "multilayered crises undermine the status of women and threaten to roll back decades of progress," citing the rise of authoritarianism, mass displacement, devastating armed conflicts and the continuing consequences of COVID.

Along with Georgetown University's Insitute for Women, PRIO drew on data measuring inclusion, justice and security for women. They used 13 indicators in total that ranged from education and employment laws to perceptions of safety and violence. 

While the pair ranked 177 countries across the globe, Euronews has focused on the results in Europe.

This year's Women, Peace Security Index - now in its fourth incarnation - contained 44 European countries, including the Balkans and Caucasus. 

Nine out of the top ten best countries to be women are European, despite glaring disparities within the region. 

Denmark leads the 2023 rankings, scoring more than three times higher than Afghanistan at the bottom of the scale. It is followed closely by Switzerland and Sweden. 

Ukraine is at the bottom of the European pile. Its poor performance was driven by "particularly low" security scores compared to other European countries, PRIO explained to Euronews in a statement, with Russia's invasion