Women Peace & Security Index 2025: Which are the Leading Countries for Women & Where India Stands

WPS Index 2025: Women's safety, inclusion and access to justice have become urgent global markers of progress. The Women Peace and Security Index for 2025/26 cuts acutely into how countries are performing on these fronts. 

While some nations continue to lead with strong protections and institutional support, others lag far behind a testament to the uneven path toward gender equality.

What is the Women Peace & Security Index?

The WPS Index is a global tool that assesses women's wellbeing by measuring inclusion, justice and security. It brings together data on education, political representation, financial access, legal rights, and exposure to violence. Scores range from 0 to 1, capturing how supportive each country is in allowing women to live freely and safely.

Developed by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security along with the Peace Research Institute Oslo, it serves as a benchmark to understand progress and highlight areas that demand urgent attention.

What is the Women's Peace & Security Index 2025/26?

The 2025/26 report ranks 181 countries based on 13 indicators. Denmark remains at the top of the list, while Afghanistan stays at the bottom. Though global progress on women's empowerment has slowed down, the present report points out that some conflict affected countries have made outstanding improvements. 

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It underlines profound inequalities, from participation in political processes to basic safety and also affirms that gender equality has yet to be achieved throughout the world.

Top 7 Countries in the World

• Belgium (0.912): Strong legal protection, extensive access to education and work, high levels of community safety.
• Luxembourg (0.918): excellent financial inclusion for women, low crime rates and solid access to justice.
• Finland (0.921): High representation of women in politics, strong social safety nets and effective response to gender-based violence.
• Norway (0.924): Comprehensive welfare policies, equal-pay structures and high perceptions of community safety.
• Sweden, 0.924: Justice systems focused on survivors, near-complete gender parity in leadership roles and robust anti-discrimination laws.
• Iceland (0.932): Consistent global leader in gender equality, high labour participation and strong legal protections.
• Denmark (0.939): World leader in terms of outstanding inclusion, lowest rates of gender-based violence and universal education and healthcare.

Which state in India has the highest women's empowerment?

The Indian states vary widely in the status of women as Goa, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh top the list due to strong performances in literacy, safety and economic participation. 

At the bottom are states like West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, which have significant gaps in women's safety, financial independence and legal protection.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available research and rankings. It is intended for informational use and should not be taken as legal or policy guidance.