10 Best Living Countries for Women in Politics

VIVA – Women in society have a very significant role, unfortunately, the role of women is still underestimated by some parties. Women around the world have long fought for equality in the right to work, politics, and others.

In 1909, the first International Women's Day was celebrated. It came after a strike that protested against horrible working conditions for women, and since then, plenty of other women's issues have been brought to the world's attention.

Not all countries are safe for women to live in, but some countries are known to be safe and best living for women to get into politics, according to data from the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security.

Based on a ranking of 170 countries, Norway is the best place to live as a woman, according to Georgetown data. With an average of 13 years of schooling, women in Norway are among the most educated in the world, and 58% of all women are gainfully employed. 

In addition, around 45% of all parliamentary seats are held by women, who also hold the position of Prime Minister. Most recently, Erna Solberg served as head of government until 2021.

Finland ranks second only to Norway as one of the ideal places to live and work as a woman. The average Finnish woman completes 12.9 years of schooling, while 52.7% are actively working.

In the political arena, women occupy 46% of Parliament seats, and the country's current Prime Minister is Sanna Marin, who at the age of 34 became the youngest head of government in Finnish history.

Women in Iceland complete an average of 12.6 years of schooling, while around 88% of working-age women are in the active labor force. With some of the highest cell phone usage in the world, 99.6% of Icelandic women use mobile devices.

More than 40% of members of parliament are women. In 1980, Iceland became the first country in the world to elect a female president, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir. The current Prime Minister is also a woman, Katrin Jakobsdottir, who has been on duty since 2017.

Denmark has a high ranking for its quality of life, including for women. With almost 100% access to mobile phones and internet use, Danish women on average complete 13.1 years of education.

In addition, 54% of all eligible working women are in active employment, meaning improvements in women's inclusion and opportunities can still be made. In the political realm, less than 40% of Danish Parliament seats are held by women, while the current Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen. 

According to data from the Georgetown Institute, Luxembourg is one of the best countries for women in politics. Despite only having a population of 645,397, women enjoy a comfortable lifestyle here.

Meanwhile, 31.7% of Luxembourg's Parliament seats are held by women, a three-point increase from 2017. In addition, 85.6% of women in the country report feeling safe in their communities.

Switzerland offers its residents some of the highest quality of life worldwide. For Swiss women, this means access to quality education, job opportunities, and financial stability.

Indeed, the average Swiss woman attains at least 12.7 years of schooling, while just under 60% are actively working. Furthermore, 98.9% report being financially involved in decision-making, while women hold 39% of all parliamentary seats, a 10% increase since 2017.

Swedish women enjoy a very high quality of life. Around 57.3% of all Swedish women are actively working, while on average, they have at least 12.7 years of education. Representing around 47% of all seats in the Swedish Parliament, 68.9% of women also report feeling safe in their respective communities.

8. Austria

Austrian women enjoy many opportunities for social development and financial growth and are included in 98.4% of all financial decisions. Occupying 51.7% of the active labor force and receiving an average of 12.2 years of schooling,

Austrian women also fill around 40% of parliamentary seats, up ten points from 2017. In addition, 84% of women report feeling safe in their homes and communities.

9. United Kingdom

Including the countries of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, the UK offers an average of 13.2 years of schooling to its women. Meanwhile, around 56.3% are actively working and are included in 96.1% of all financial decisions.

On the political front, 30.6% are represented in Parliament, with three women occupying the post of Prime Minister as recently as 2022. In addition, nearly 78% report feeling very safe in their communities and homes all over the UK.

The Netherlands is one of the best-living countries for women, where 54.8% are part of the active labor force. In addition to an average of 12.1 years of schooling, Dutch women also make up 99.8% of financial inclusion.

Representing 35% of all seats in government, 74.4% of women surveyed in the Netherlands reported feeling safe in their communities, with just under 95% having access to a mobile device.