Canada Maintains Higher Women's Safety Ranking Than United States
Canada continues to outperform the United States in global measurements of women's safety and well-being, according to the latest Women, Peace and Security Index findings. The comprehensive report places Canada at 16th position among 181 nations worldwide, marking a one-spot improvement from previous assessments.
Understanding the Women, Peace and Security Index
The Women, Peace and Security Index represents a collaborative effort between the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the Peace Research Institute Oslo, with support from the Norwegian government. This extensive evaluation system examines 13 distinct indicators across three primary categories: women's inclusion, justice, and security. Each country receives a score ranging from 0 (worst possible) to 1 (best possible).
In the most recent 2025/26 assessment, Canada achieved a score of 0.885, elevating its position from 17th to 16th place globally. This improvement occurs despite concerning domestic violence trends across Canadian provinces.
Canada's Strengths and Weaknesses in Women's Well-being
Canada demonstrates exceptional performance in several key areas:
- First place among developed nations for absence of legal discrimination against women
- Strong financial inclusion for women
- Lower intimate partner violence rates compared to the United States
However, the report identifies areas requiring attention, particularly Canada's ranking as lowest among developed countries for women's cellphone usage. This metric measures the percentage of women aged 15 and older who report having a mobile phone for personal calls. Researchers emphasize that "cellphone use is increasingly recognized as core to people's opportunities to be informed about and participate in the economy, society, and politics."
United States Comparison and Performance
The United States has shown notable improvement in the index, climbing six positions from 37th to 31st place since the previous assessment. American women outperform their Canadian counterparts in several educational and technological measures:
- Higher mean years of schooling for women
- Greater cellphone usage among women
- Better access to justice systems
Despite these advantages, the United States falls behind Canada in critical areas including women's employment rates, financial inclusion, and maternal mortality. The U.S. ranks worst among developed nations for maternal mortality rates.
Concerning Domestic Violence Trends in Canada
The positive international ranking contrasts with troubling domestic violence statistics emerging across Canada. Recent data from Statistics Canada reveals that police-reported domestic violence remained at record levels throughout 2024, maintaining the elevated rates observed in 2023 after years of gradual increases.
Between 2018 and 2024, intimate partner violence among victims aged 12 and older surged by 14 percent nationwide. Provincial variations reveal significant disparities, with Saskatchewan recording the highest rates of both family violence (737 victims per 100,000 people) and intimate partner violence (714 victims per 100,000 people). Ontario reported the lowest rates, with 237 victims of family violence and 278 victims of intimate partner violence per 100,000 population.
Women and girls remain disproportionately affected by these violence patterns, being 2.1 times more likely to experience family violence and 3.5 times more likely to suffer intimate partner violence compared to men. These statistics have prompted numerous provinces and municipalities across Canada to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic in recent years.
Intimate Partner Violence Comparison
The contrast between Canada and the United States becomes particularly evident in intimate partner violence statistics. The United States reports a 6 percent rate of women experiencing physical or sexual violence from intimate partners within the previous year, while Canada maintains a significantly lower rate of 2.6 percent. This measurement specifically examines the percentage of ever-partnered women who experienced such violence in the twelve months preceding data collection.
Despite Canada's relative advantage in this area, the rising domestic violence trends present ongoing challenges for policymakers and community organizations working to enhance women's safety nationwide.
