Women’s Empowerment Index: Measuring Progress for Women Around Europe

The fight for women’s rights has spanned centuries, marked by both significant victories and persistent challenges. A key milestone came in 1792 with Mary Wollstonecraft’s groundbreaking work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which advocated for women’s education. Then the suffrage campaigns of the 19th and early 20th centuries fought vehemently to extend voting rights to women. New Zealand became the first country to grant women the right to vote in 1893, with Australia, Finland, and Norway following suit by 1913. Throughout the 20th century, feminism evolved, pushing for greater gender equality in pay, political representation, and autonomy.

Fast forward to 2025, and society stands on the shoulders of giants. Today’s women benefit from the progress of those who fought before them, yet systemic inequalities persist, and the influence of patriarchy remains deeply rooted. In many parts of the world, restrictive laws continue to limit the types of jobs women can pursue, and the gender gap in economic participation remains vast. According to the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2024 report, women still have access to less than two-thirds of the legal rights granted to men. The World Economic Forum (WEF) estimates that, at the current pace, it will take 134 years to achieve full gender parity.

Most female-empowered countries in Europe

Many countries have made notable progress in narrowing the gender equality gap, recognising that a society where women are healthy, educated, and empowered is fundamental to economic growth, political stability, and social well-being.

Artefact has examined key factors of empowerment, including financial freedom, legal rights, and education. This analysis assessed each European country’s gender pay gap, the percentage of female graduates, business leaders, and government representatives, as well as retirement age and workplace legislation. Based on these indicators, each country was assigned a score out of 100. The data was sourced from a range of official reports, primarily from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank.

Artefact’s research has identified the European nations making the greatest strides towards gender equality. In other words, these are the best countries for women’s empowerment in Europe.

• 1. Iceland Score: 74.0/100 In 1915, Iceland granted women the right to vote. Today, 48% of Parliament seats are held by women, the highest among European nations. In the workplace, women occupy 39% of leadership roles, with 19.2% serving as CEOs. According to UN Women, Iceland has fully implemented legal frameworks that promote, enforce, and monitor gender equality, particularly in addressing violence against women, under the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators.
• 2. Lithuania Score: 71.7/100 Lithuania’s road to gender equality began with the 1918 Constitution of Lithuania, which granted women the right to vote. Since then, the percentage of female graduates has risen to 72%, while women now make up 22.2% of CEOs—the highest proportion in Europe. The country is also one of the few to have had a woman serve as prime minister. Ingrida ?imonyt? held office from 2020 to 2024 and pledged to increase the number of women in parliament more than ever before.
• 3. Belgium Score: 69.5/100 Belgium ranks high on our list, despite not introducing women’s suffrage until 1948. The country has a wage gap of just 1.1%, making it the closest among our top ten European countries to achieving equal pay. When analysing the wage gap, the aim is to achieve as small a percentage as possible. 0% would indicate complete parity in wages between men and women, and therefore, pay equality would be achieved.?
• 4. Poland Score: 68.6/100 Poland was one of the first nations to grant women legal rights in 1918 after regaining independence from foreign rule. In 2025, they have achieved an impressive retirement age with full benefits of 60 for women, the lowest among our top 10. Additionally, 42% of senior management positions are held by women, reflecting strong representation in leadership.
• 5. Sweden Score: 68.4/100 In 1980, gender-based discrimination in the workplace became illegal in Sweden. This positive change had a ripple effect through time, leading to significant gender equality today. Currently, women hold 42% of leadership positions in the workplace and 46% of seats in Parliament.
• 6. Finland Score: 65.5/100 Finland has a staggering 77.8% of female graduates, the highest among all European nations. Women hold 46% of the Parliament seats and 37% of the senior roles in the workplace. However, the gender pay gap remains a challenge, with women earning 17.5% less than men.
• 7. Norway Score: 64.8/100 Founded in 1884, the Norwegian Association for Women’s Rights initially campaigned for women’s right to vote, work, and for the establishment of the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud. Today, the association continues its work to advance gender equality and ensure equal opportunities for women by closing the 4.5% wage gap and increasing the number of women in senior management positions, which currently stands at 32%.
• 8. Slovenia Score: 62.5/100 Slovenia achieved gender parity in the top two tiers of its public service in 2008, with women making up 56.1% of officials in these positions. In 2018, Alenka Ermenc broke new ground as the first woman to become chief of staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, while Tatjana Bobnar made history as the first female director general of police—positions that were previously only occupied by men.
• 9. Denmark Score: 62.3/100 In 1915, women were granted both the right to vote in Denmark and the right to run for office. In 1918, just nine women were elected to the Folketing, the Danish Parliament, out of 402 candidates (that’s 0.02%!). Today, 44% of the Folketing are women. However, this has not extended to the business world, with less than 1 in 10 CEOs being women and just 31% in senior management positions.
• 10. Romania Score: 61.3/100 Rounding off our ranking, Romania is among the top 5 European countries with the smallest gender pay gap, standing at 5.8%. The country also has been making great strides in workplace legislation, ensuring women have equal opportunities for employment and enacting laws to combat discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace. However, some challenges persist. For example, only 1 in 5 seats in the Parliament is held by women, and the number of female CEOs remains low at 11.8%.

What European countries gave the smallest gender pay gap ?

Artefact then conducted a thorough analysis of key empowerment metrics, recognising that while some countries may rank lower on the list, they still deserve acknowledgment for excelling in specific areas.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), there are a few countries that outshine the rest with their barely perceptible gender pay gaps. For instance, Belgium and Luxembourg both have gaps of less than 3%. In the coming years, we hope to see these countries completely close the gap.

Top 10:

1. Luxembourg: 0.4%
2. Belgium: 1.1%
3. Italy: 3.3%
4. Norway: 4.5%
5. Romania: 5.8%
6. Denmark: 5.8%
7. Portugal: 6.1%
8. Spain: 6.7%
9. Sweden: 7.0%
10. Greece: 8.1%

Which European country has the most women earning degrees ?

Here, we will dig into some World Bank data showing the percentage of women who finish their first degree programmes in tertiary education.

Top 10:

1. Finland: 77.8%
2. Norway: 76.9%
3. Lithuania: 72.2%
4. Denmark: 71.9%
5. Iceland: 70.6%
6. Greece: 68.9%
7. Sweden: 64.6%
8. United Kingdom: 63.8%
9. Malta: 62.9%
10. Portugal: 62.4%

Where are women most represented in leadership position ?

By examining the proportion of parliamentary seats held by women, and the percentage of females in senior management and CEO positions, Artefact unveiled the countries where women are taking a front seat.

Top 10:?

1. Iceland: 87.6/100
2. Latvia: 72.5/100
3. Lithuania: 69.3/100
4. Norway: 68.2/100
5. United Kingdom: 67.9/100
6. Sweden: 67.2/100
7. Finland: 65.6/100
8. Estonia: 62.2/100
9. Belgium: 61.7/100
10. France: 61.4/100

Championing women in AI: Artefact’s commitment

While artificial intelligence is reshaping the world, the industry itself still faces a critical imbalance—only 30% of AI talent globally is women, and just 19% hold leadership roles in Data & AI. Without greater inclusion, the technology shaping our future risks being built without the diverse perspectives needed for true innovation.

At Artefact, we recognise the importance of diversity in technology and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where women can thrive in AI and data careers. Through initiatives like Women@Artefact, we actively work to raise awareness, inspire future female talent, and support women in their professional development. From training programmes and mentorship to industry events and school outreach, we are dedicated to increasing female representation at all levels.

Beyond internal initiatives, Artefact has taken a creative approach to advocacy. In collaboration with our creative agency, Artefact 3000, we launched Afterwork—a powerful film created using generative AI to highlight the lack of female representation in the industry. This project is more than just a campaign; it’s a call to action for a tech sector where women are not only present but leading the way.

“International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate progress, but also to recognise the work still to be done. At Artefact, we are committed to fostering a culture where women are empowered, supported, and given equal opportunities to succeed. Diversity isn’t just a value we uphold; it’s the driving force behind innovation and progress. By championing inclusion, we’re not only shaping a fairer workplace but also a stronger, more forward-thinking industry.”

— Charlie Kay, Head of SEO and DEI Lead @ Artefact

Methodology & Sources

For meaningful change to occur, nations must prioritise a culture of education and transparency. Reporting and analysing data like this is essential to pinpoint areas for improvement and highlight achievements. While there is still much to be done to attain true gender equality, the European countries on our list prove that real progress will come from embracing inclusion.

To identify Europe’s most female-empowered countries, we standardised each metric on a scale from 0 to 1, using the highest and lowest values as references. The higher the score, the better the country’s performance in that metric. The final score was calculated by averaging these standardised metrics and multiplying the result by 100.

We relied on the latest OECD data for insights into the gender wage gap and female entrepreneurship across countries, along with World Bank data for the following metrics:

• Women in the workplace by-laws
• The proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments
• Retirement age with full benefits
• Graduation rates

Additional information on women CEOs was obtained from EIGE, the European Institute for Gender Equality.

This International Women’s Day, move beyond stereotypes with Artefact. Together, we can create a world where women thrive without limits and where their strength, resilience, and potential are celebrated every day.

This article was originally published on the Artefact Website.