Spain is fifth in a ranking of countries where women feel equal

SPAIN has come fifth in a ranking of countries where women feel secure, respected, equal and unthreatened.
The University of Georgetown’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security’s study named Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Slovenia and Spain the most female friendly countries.
Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan came bottom in the ranking of a total of 153 states.
The report comes Spanish politicians promised progress on gender equality amidst protests against sexism and gender violence this year.
The university’s study took into account cases of gender violence, the representation of women in parliament, safety and legal systems. Spain ranked highly in almost all the categories.
The country came 11^th in gender violence rankings with the studying finding that 13 per cent of Spanish women had experienced some form of sexist attack in their lifetimes.
More than 80 per cent of Spanish women surveyed said they felt secure, with the report’s authors commenting the metric measured feelings of security and not freedom.
Spain came 20^th in terms of women participating in politics. Female members of the Cortes Generales, the country’s Parliament, make up 39 per cent of the total number of lawmakers.
Spain topped the ranking of equality in its legal system with the least amount of discriminatory laws on its books.
The study follows protests over alleged sexism in Spanish society this year as well as pledges from politicians to make the country more gender equal.
Millions took part in the feminist general strike on International Women’s Day on March 8 over claims they continued to face sexism and discrimination in the workplace and wider society.
Thousands more rallied after a Navarra court cleared five men of rape charges in connection with a sex attack on a woman at Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls festival.
They were found guilty of the lesser charge of sexual assault in what became known as the La Manada (Wolfpack) case.
Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s Prime Minister, has committed his left-leaning Partido Socialista (PSOE) government to promoting female equality.
There are 11 women in Spain’s 17-strong Council of Ministers, a move designed to make the government more gender equal.