Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?

http://www.humantruth.info/best_human_rights_equality_tolerance.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2020

#afghanistan #equality #human_rights #india #tolerance

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark₁. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu₁.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia₁.

1. The Criteria: Human Rights & Tolerance

Constituent Data Sets: Human Rights & Tolerance
Human Rights & Tolerance		Overall Results: Best: Sweden, Norway, Denmark Regions: Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₁ Worst: Solomon Islands, Somalia, Tuvalu Regions: Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia₁
1. Human Rights Watch Comments		Best: France, Germany, UK Worst: 10-country draw
2. Nominal Commitment to HR		Best: Argentina, 12-country draw Worst: Kiribati, Bhutan, 4-country draw
3. HR Treaties Lag		Best: Ecuador, Uruguay, Tunisia Worst: Palestine, Marshall Islands, Palau
4. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom		Best: Hong Kong, Switzerland, New Zealand Worst: Libya, Yemen, Iran
5. Press Freedom		Best: Finland, Netherlands, Norway Worst: Eritrea, N. Korea, Turkmenistan
6. Slavery		Best: Japan, Canada, Taiwan Worst: N. Korea, Eritrea, Burundi
Constituent Data Sets: Gender Equality
7. Gender Inequality		Best: Switzerland, Denmark, Netherlands Worst: Yemen, Niger, Chad
8. Gender Biases		Best: Sweden, New Zealand, Australia Worst: Tajikistan, Qatar, Pakistan
9. Year Women Can Vote		Best: New Zealand, Australia, Finland Worst: Saudi Arabia, Vatican City, Kuwait
Constituent Data Sets: Prejudice
10. Anti-Semite Opinions		Best: Laos, Philippines, Sweden Worst: Iraq, Yemen, 2-country draw
11. LGBT Equality		Best: Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden Worst: Syria, Somalia, Saudi Arabia
12. Freedom of Thought		Best: Taiwan, Belgium, Netherlands Worst: 4-country draw

1.1. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments (2017)₂
Pos.		Higher is better Score₂
1=	UK	9
1=	France	9
1=	Germany	9
4	Canada	8
5=	Netherlands	8
6	Sweden	7
7=	Ireland	7
8	Finland	6
9=	Luxembourg	6
9=	Belgium	6
11	Greece	5
12=	Cyprus	5
12=	Czechia	5
12=	Denmark	5
12=	Romania	5
12=	Estonia	5
12=	Portugal	5
12=	Bulgaria	5
12=	Spain	5
12=	Malta	5
q=123.

Human Rights Watch Comments (2017)₂
Pos.		Lower is worse Score₂
123=	Pakistan	-10
121=	Burundi	-10
119=	Iran	-10
117=	N. Korea	-10
115=	Malaysia	-10
113=	Saudi Arabia	-10
111=	Sudan	-10
109=	Syria	-10
107=	Afghanistan	-10
105=	Congo, DR	-10
113	Eritrea	-9
112=	Myanmar (Burma)	-9
110=	Libya	-9
108=	Somalia	-9
109	Turkmenistan	-8
108=	Algeria	-8
106=	Russia	-8
104=	Central African Rep.	-8
105	Egypt	-7
104=	Equatorial Guinea	-7
q=123.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

Human Rights Watch Comments By Global Region:

Human Rights Watch Comments (2017)₂
	Area	Higher is better Score₂
	Africa...	-5.6
	Asia...	-5.0
	Australasia	0.0
	Europe...	3.5
	North America	0.2
	South America	-1.8
	The Middle East...	-5.4
	World	-1.9

1.2. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)₃
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties₃
1	Argentina	24
2=	Chile	23
2=	Costa Rica	23
2=	Ecuador	23
2=	Germany	23
2=	Mexico	23
2=	Peru	23
2=	Spain	23
2=	Slovenia	23
2=	Paraguay	23
2=	Serbia	23
2=	Sweden	23
2=	Uruguay	23
14	Italy	22
15=	Denmark	22
15=	Croatia	22
15=	Belgium	22
15=	Austria	22
19	Brazil	21
20=	Montenegro	21
q=194.

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)₃
Pos.		Lower is worse Treaties₃
194=	Kiribati	3
192=	Bhutan	3
192	Malaysia	4
191=	Palau	4
189=	Myanmar (Burma)	4
187=	Marshall Islands	4
188	Nauru	5
187=	Singapore	5
185=	Micronesia	5
183=	Tuvalu	5
184	Pakistan	6
183=	Tonga	6
181=	Brunei	6
179=	St Lucia	6
180	UAE	7
179=	Grenada	7
177=	Sao Tome & Principe	7
175=	N. Korea	7
173=	Indonesia	7
175	Eritrea	8
q=194.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

Nominal Commitment to HR By Global Region:

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)₃
	Area	Higher is better Treaties₃
	Africa...	14.8
	Asia...	12.7
	Australasia	8.7
	Europe...	19.5
	North America	14.5
	South America	20.2
	The Middle East...	12.4
	World	15.1

1.3. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag (2019)₄
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Yrs/Treaty₄
1	Ecuador	2.15
2	Uruguay	2.25
3	Tunisia	3.65
4	Colombia	3.68
5	Costa Rica	4.05
6	Mexico	4.08
7	Chile	4.12
8	Philippines	4.19
9	Bulgaria	4.24
10	Panama	4.26
11	Senegal	4.32
12	Namibia	4.36
13	Egypt	4.52
14	Spain	4.60
15	Peru	4.64
16	Sweden	4.88
17	Ukraine	4.94
18	Mali	4.97
19	Norway	5.05
20	Denmark	5.06
q=195.

HR Treaties Lag (2019)₄
Pos.		Higher is worse Avg Yrs/Treaty₄
195	Palestine	17.21
194	Marshall Islands	16.34
193	Palau	16.34
192	Tuvalu	16.33
191	Sao Tome & Principe	16.17
190	Nauru	16.16
189	Solomon Islands	15.81
188	Kiribati	15.80
187	Somalia	15.71
186	Micronesia	15.55
185	Tonga	15.55
184	Brunei	15.29
183	Papua New Guinea	15.23
182	Singapore	15.02
181	St Kitts & Nevis	15.00
180	Myanmar (Burma)	14.93
179	Samoa	14.85
178	Fiji	14.85
177	Comoros	14.82
176	UAE	14.81
q=195.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

"Which are the Best Countries for Human Rights, Equality and Tolerance?" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

The data for each country's date of signing comes from "Human Development Report" by United Nations (2019)₅.

Countries that were founded after a treaty are given one years' leeway to sign, before the days start adding up. And, the total penalty for any treaty maxes out at 20 years. This is to protect the formula against undue single-issue skew.

The mere fact that a country has signed a treaty does not indicate how well it is being implemented. But it signals to the world that HR is a symbolic good; and the more that signal in a positive way, the more likely it is that citizens and international bodies will pressurize governments into governing well, and protecting the Human Rights of its citizens.

HR Treaties Lag By Global Region:

HR Treaties Lag (2019)₄
	Area	Lower is better Avg Yrs/Treaty₄
	Africa...	9.88
	Asia...	10.97
	Australasia	14.35
	Europe...	9.09
	North America	9.70
	South America	6.06
	The Middle East...	10.37
	World	10.02

1.4. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)₆
Pos.		Lower is better Rank₆
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
4	Ireland	4
5	Denmark	5
6=	UK	6
6=	Canada	6
6=	Australia	6
9	Finland	9
10	Netherlands	10
11=	Luxembourg	11
11=	Austria	11
13	Norway	13
14=	Germany	13
15	Sweden	15
16	Malta	16
17	Belgium	17
18	Czechia	18
19	Portugal	19
20	Lithuania	20
q=159.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)₆
Pos.		Higher is worse Rank₆
159	Libya	159
158	Yemen	158
157	Iran	157
156	Syria	156
155	Central African Rep.	155
154	Venezuela	154
153	Myanmar (Burma)	153
152	Algeria	152
151	Congo, DR	151
150	Angola	150
149	Guinea	149
148	Zimbabwe	148
147=	Chad	146
145=	Pakistan	146
145	Egypt	144
144=	Saudi Arabia	144
143	Mauritania	143
142	Ethiopia	142
141	China	141
140	Nigeria	140
q=159.

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

“... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]
The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]
Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.”
"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)₇

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom By Global Region:

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)₆
	Area	Lower is better Rank₆
	Africa...	114.2
	Asia...	94.6
	Australasia	36.0
	Europe...	33.9
	North America	64.2
	South America	83.3
	The Middle East...	111.3
	World	79.7

1.5. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom (2013)₈
Pos.		Lower is better₈
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
4	Luxembourg	668
5	Andorra	682
6	Denmark	708
7	Liechtenstein	735
8	New Zealand	838
9	Iceland	849
10	Sweden	923
11	Estonia	926
12	Austria	940
13	Jamaica	988
14	Switzerland	994
15	Ireland	1006
16	Czechia	1017
17	Germany	1024
18	Costa Rica	1208
19	Namibia	1250
20	Canada	1269
q=178.

Press Freedom (2013)₈
Pos.		Higher is worse₈
178	Eritrea	8483
177	N. Korea	8390
176	Turkmenistan	7914
175	Syria	7853
174	Somalia	7359
173	Iran	7340
172	China	7307
171	Vietnam	7178
170	Cuba	7164
169	Sudan	7006
168	Yemen	6922
167	Laos	6799
166	Djibouti	6740
165	Equatorial Guinea	6720
164	Bahrain	6275
163	Uzbekistan	6039
162	Saudi Arabia	5688
161	Sri Lanka	5659
160	Rwanda	5546
159	Kazakhstan	5508
q=178.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index₉

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

Press Freedom By Global Region:

Press Freedom (2013)₈
	Area	Lower is better₈
	Africa...	3511
	Asia...	4378
	Australasia	2164
	Europe...	2044
	North America	2827
	South America	2883
	The Middle East...	4561
	World	3249

1.6. Slavery

#burundi #eritrea #france #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery (2018)₁₀
Pos.		Lower is better % Victims₁₀
1	Japan	0.03
2=	Canada	0.05
2=	Taiwan	0.05
4	Australia	0.06
5=	New Zealand	0.06
6	Chile	0.08
7=	Mauritius	0.10
7=	Uruguay	0.10
9	Costa Rica	0.13
10=	USA	0.13
10=	Argentina	0.13
12	Hong Kong	0.14
13=	Kuwait	0.15
13=	Luxembourg	0.15
13=	Qatar	0.15
16	Denmark	0.16
17=	Paraguay	0.16
17=	Sweden	0.16
19	Ireland	0.17
20=	Lebanon	0.17
q=167.

Slavery (2018)₁₀
Pos.		Higher is worse % Victims₁₀
167	N. Korea	10.46
166	Eritrea	9.30
165	Burundi	4.00
164	Central African Rep.	2.23
163	Afghanistan	2.22
162	Mauritania	2.14
161	S. Sudan	2.05
160=	Pakistan	1.68
158=	Cambodia	1.68
158	Iran	1.62
157	Somalia	1.55
156	Congo, DR	1.37
155	Mongolia	1.23
154=	Sudan	1.20
152=	Chad	1.20
152	Rwanda	1.16
151	Turkmenistan	1.12
150	Myanmar (Burma)	1.10
149=	Brunei	1.09
147=	Belarus	1.09
q=167.

The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory₁₁. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends₁₂. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life₁₃. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves₁₄.

The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery₁₅. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity₁₆. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.

'Modern slavery' includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones and the vulnerable.₁₇. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₁₈, Eritrea₁₈, Indonesia₁₉) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery₂₀.

For more, see:

"The Historical Slave Trade and Modern Slavery" by Vexen Crabtree (2018).

“In the modern world there have been new, disguised forms of slavery to avoid the international abhorrence [of traditional slavery]: debt bondage in India, chattel slavery in North Africa, sham adoption of children for labour purposes in the Middle East, marriage as a form of enslavement in Islamic countries and new forms of slavery in areas like Afghanistan.”
"A History of Sin" by Oliver Thomson (1993)₁₇

The Global Slavery Index was published for the first time in 2013 amidst ongoing concern that child marriage, human trafficking, exclusive economic bondage to landlords, forced unpaid work and other abusive practices constitute forms of 'modern slavery'. Its publishers, the Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery. They didn't include the types of abuse orchestrated by the companies that Naomi Klein highlighted - it's not clear that it is slavery, even though it is very inhumane.

“Modern slavery is a destructive, personal crime and an abuse of human rights. It is a widespread and profitable criminal industry but despite this it is largely invisible, in part because it disproportionately affects the most marginalised. [There are] two major external drivers - highly repressive regimes, in which populations are put to work to prop up the government, and conflict situations which result in the breakdown of rule of law, social structures, and existing systems of protection.”
"Global Slavery Index" by Walk Free Foundation (2018)₂₀

Combatting modern slavery is complex, as the globalized world of indirect economic effects means that it is often difficult (especially for consumers) to detect which products involve slavery and forced labour, and therefore, many consumers are directly contributing to the profits of human rights abusers.

The HTF did consider researching when each country abolished slavery and giving each a point per year, therefore rewarding those countries that were first to abolish it. This historical ranking could have a 50% weight and the Global Slavery Index a 50% weight. However, it is clear that countries that were involved in slavery were the first to come to abolish it (e.g. Spain in 1542), and therefore, such a historical index would be unfair.

Slavery By Global Region:

Slavery (2018)₁₀
	Area	Lower is better % Victims₁₀
	Africa...	0.96
	Asia...	0.79
	Australasia	0.38
	Europe...	0.38
	North America	0.28
	South America	0.22
	The Middle East...	0.41
	World	0.65

1.7. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality (2015)₂₁
Pos.		Lower is better₂₁
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
4	Sweden	0.05
5	Iceland	0.05
6	Norway	0.05
7	Slovenia	0.05
8	Finland	0.06
9	Germany	0.07
10	S. Korea	0.07
11	Singapore	0.07
12	Belgium	0.07
13	Luxembourg	0.07
14	Austria	0.08
15	Spain	0.08
16	Italy	0.08
17	Portugal	0.09
18	Canada	0.10
19	France	0.10
20	Israel	0.10
q=159.

Gender Inequality (2015)₂₁
Pos.		Higher is worse₂₁
159	Yemen	0.77
158	Niger	0.70
157	Chad	0.69
156	Mali	0.69
155	Ivory Coast	0.67
154	Afghanistan	0.67
153	Congo, DR	0.66
152	Tonga	0.66
151	Sierra Leone	0.65
150	Liberia	0.65
149	Central African Rep.	0.65
148	Gambia	0.64
147	Mauritania	0.63
146	Burkina Faso	0.62
145	Malawi	0.61
144	Benin	0.61
143	Papua New Guinea	0.59
142	Haiti	0.59
141	Congo, (Brazzaville)	0.59
140	Sudan	0.57
q=159.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

Gender Inequality By Global Region:

Gender Inequality (2015)₂₁
	Area	Lower is better₂₁
	Africa...	0.54
	Asia...	0.36
	Australasia	0.39
	Europe...	0.15
	North America	0.37
	South America	0.41
	The Middle East...	0.39
	World	0.36

1.8. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases (2022)₂₂
Pos.		Lower is better %₂₂
1	Sweden	31.8₂₃
2	New Zealand	34.4₂₄
3	Australia	37.0₂₄
4	Germany	40.2₂₄
5	Canada	41.1₂₄
6	Norway	42.1₂₅
7	Andorra	43.1₂₄
8	Netherlands	44.2₂₃
9	USA	50.7₂₄
10	Finland	52.5₂₅
11	Spain	53.5₂₃
12	Switzerland	56.9₂₅
13	France	57.2₂₅
14	UK	57.7₂₅
15	Slovenia	61.1₂₃
16	Japan	63.4₂₄
17	Italy	64.4₂₅
18	Greece	64.9₂₄
19	Hungary	67.3₂₅
20	Argentina	74.3₂₄
q=88.

Gender Biases (2022)₂₂
Pos.		Higher is worse %₂₂
88	Tajikistan	99.9₂₄
87	Qatar	99.8₂₃
86	Pakistan	99.8₂₄
85	Libya	99.7₂₄
84	Indonesia	99.7₂₄
83	Egypt	99.6₂₄
82	Malaysia	99.5₂₄
81	Nigeria	99.5₂₄
80	Philippines	99.5₂₄
79	Mali	99.5₂₅
78	Bangladesh	99.4₂₄
77	Myanmar (Burma)	99.4₂₄
76	Rwanda	99.1₂₃
75	India	99.1₂₃
74	Ghana	99.0₂₃
73	Haiti	98.9₂₃
72	Iraq	98.9₂₄
71	Ethiopia	98.9₂₄
70	Azerbaijan	98.7₂₃
69	Yemen	98.7₂₃
q=88.

The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.

The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.

Gender Biases By Global Region:

Gender Biases (2022)₂₂
	Area	Lower is better %₂₂
	Africa...	98.10
	Asia...	94.24
	Australasia	35.72
	Europe...	69.08
	North America	78.72
	South America	86.15
	The Middle East...	96.05
	World	83.93

1.9. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote
Pos.		Lower is better Year
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
4	Norway	1913
5=	Denmark	1915
5=	Iceland	1915
7	Russia	1917
8=	Latvia	1918
8=	Estonia	1918
8=	Kyrgyzstan	1918
11	Austria	1919
12=	Slovakia	1919
12=	Belarus	1919
12=	Germany	1919
12=	Netherlands	1919
12=	Ukraine	1919
12=	Luxembourg	1919
12=	Czechia	1919
12=	Poland	1919
20	Canada	1920
q=189.

Year Women Can Vote
Pos.		Higher is worse Year
189	Vatican City	0
188	Saudi Arabia	0
187	Kuwait	2005
186	Qatar	2003
185=	Oman	1994
183=	Moldova	1994
183	Kazakhstan	1993
182	Samoa	1990
181	Namibia	1989
180=	Central African Rep.	1986
178=	Djibouti	1986
178	Liechtenstein	1984
177=	Iraq	1980
175=	Vanuatu	1980
175	Marshall Islands	1979
174=	Micronesia	1979
172=	Palau	1979
172	Zimbabwe	1978
171	Guinea-Bissau	1977
170	Portugal	1976
q=189.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

"Gender Equality" by Vexen Crabtree (2023).

Year Women Can Vote By Global Region:

Year Women Can Vote
	Area	Lower is better Year
	Africa...	1961
	Asia...	1907
	Australasia	1962
	Europe...	1895
	North America	1946
	South America	1950
	The Middle East...	1838
	World	1930

1.10. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #israel #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions (2014)₂₆
Pos.		Lower is better %₂₆
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
4	Netherlands	5
5	Vietnam	6
6	UK	8
7=	Denmark	9
7=	USA	9
9	Tanzania	12
10=	Thailand	13
10=	Czechia	13
12	Canada	14
13=	New Zealand	14
13=	Australia	14
15	Norway	15
16=	Ghana	15
16=	Finland	15
18	Brazil	16
19=	Singapore	16
19=	Nigeria	16
q=101.

Anti-Semite Opinions (2014)₂₆
Pos.		Higher is worse %₂₆
101	Iraq	92
100	Yemen	88
99=	Libya	87
97=	Algeria	87
97	Tunisia	86
96	Kuwait	82
95=	Bahrain	81
93=	Jordan	81
93	Morocco	80
92=	Qatar	80
90=	UAE	80
90	Lebanon	78
89	Oman	76
88	Egypt	75
87	Saudi Arabia	74
86=	Greece	69
84=	Turkey	69
84	Malaysia	61
83	Armenia	58
82	Iran	56
q=101.

Anti-Semitism is the world given to irrational racism against Jews. It is not the same as anti-Judaism (involving arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews₂₇_,₂₈_,₂₉_,₃₀. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were widespread violent outbursts against Jews of the most persistent and horrible kind. The Crusades were frequently aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East₃₁, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews₃₂_,₃₃. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"₃₄. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males₃₅.

For more, see:

"Anti-Semitism" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

Anti-Semite Opinions By Global Region:

Anti-Semite Opinions (2014)₂₆
	Area	Lower is better %₂₆
	Africa...	45.9
	Asia...	48.2
	Australasia	14.0
	Europe...	29.9
	North America	28.2
	South America	31.6
	The Middle East...	77.8
	World	36.8

1.11. LGBT Equality

#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

LGBT Equality (2017)₃₆
Pos.		Higher is better Score₃₆
1	Netherlands	103
2	Belgium	90
3	Sweden	86
4	Brazil	81
5	Spain	79
6=	France	78
6=	S. Africa	78
8	Uruguay	77
9=	Norway	72
9=	Denmark	72
9=	Iceland	72
12	UK	72
13=	Mexico	70
13=	Luxembourg	70
15	Argentina	69
16=	Malta	63
16=	Andorra	63
16=	New Zealand	63
16=	Portugal	63
20	Canada	62
q=196.

LGBT Equality (2017)₃₆
Pos.		Lower is worse Score₃₆
196	Syria	-84
195	Somalia	-79
194	Saudi Arabia	-72
193	Sudan	-67
192	Qatar	-54
191	Solomon Islands	-44
190=	Morocco	-42
188=	Libya	-42
188	Tunisia	-39
187=	Senegal	-39
185=	Cameroon	-39
183=	Guinea	-39
184	Kuwait	-37
183=	Algeria	-37
182	UAE	-34
181	Mauritania	-32
180=	Tuvalu	-30
178=	Uzbekistan	-30
176=	Angola	-30
174=	Comoros	-30
q=196.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence₃₇. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country across the world, often against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right, protected by privacy laws₃₈. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries₃₇. The Social & Moral LGBT Equality Index was created to compare countries and regions, granting points to each country for a variety of factors including how long gay sex has been criminalized and the extent of LGBT legal rights. Graded negative points are given for criminality of homosexuality, unequal ages of consent, legal punishments and for not signing international accords on LGBT tolerance. The signs in many developed countries are positive, and things are gradually improving. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region (Scandinavia in particular being exemplary). The Middle East and then Africa are the least morally developed, where cultural bias goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

"LGBT Rights Across the World: Which are the Best and Worst Countries?" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

LGBT Equality By Global Region:

LGBT Equality (2017)₃₆
	Area	Higher is better Score₃₆
	Africa...	-10.4
	Asia...	-02.1
	Australasia	07.1
	Europe...	46.9
	North America	16.6
	South America	44.2
	The Middle East...	-18.8
	World	12.6

1.12. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought (2021)₃₉
Pos.		Lower is better₃₉
1=	Belgium	1.0
1=	Netherlands	1.0
1=	Taiwan	1.0
4	Sao Tome & Principe	1.3
5=	Ecuador	1.3
5=	France	1.3
5=	Bolivia	1.3
5=	Nauru	1.3
9	Iceland	1.5
10=	Congo, (Brazzaville)	1.5
10=	Sweden	1.5
10=	Norway	1.5
13	Mongolia	1.7
14=	Guinea-Bissau	1.7
14=	S. Africa	1.7
16	S. Korea	1.8
17=	Albania	1.8
17=	Palau	1.8
17=	USA	1.8
17=	Kosovo	1.8
q=196.

Freedom of Thought (2021)₃₉
Pos.		Higher is worse₃₉
196=	Afghanistan	5.0
194=	Saudi Arabia	5.0
192=	Pakistan	5.0
190=	N. Korea	5.0
192	UAE	4.8
191=	Iran	4.8
189=	Yemen	4.8
187=	Maldives	4.8
185=	Sudan	4.8
183=	Brunei	4.8
181=	Mauritania	4.8
185	Malaysia	4.5
184=	Morocco	4.5
182=	Qatar	4.5
180=	China	4.5
178=	Bahrain	4.5
176=	Bangladesh	4.5
174=	Eritrea	4.5
172=	Indonesia	4.5
170=	Syria	4.5
q=196.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights₄₀. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish₄₁. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era₄₂ of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted₄₃. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief₄₄. The best countries at doing so are Taiwan, Belgium and The Netherlands₃₉_,₄₅ and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia₃₉_,₄₆.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed₄₇. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief₄₁, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion₄₈ and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"₄₉ and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

"Freethought - Freedom of Belief and Freedom of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2022).

Freedom of Thought By Global Region:

Freedom of Thought (2021)₃₉
	Area	Lower is better₃₉
	Africa...	3.1
	Asia...	3.7
	Australasia	2.6
	Europe...	2.6
	North America	2.8
	South America	2.6
	The Middle East...	4.3
	World	3.0

2. Overall Results by Country

#equality #gender_equality #human_development #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

The overall scores are simply an average of each countries' position in all of the data sets that make up this category. Countries only receive a ranking if they have at least 4 different data points across the data sets. The overall results for each country are listed alongside their position in the Social and Moral Development Index.

Pos.		Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020) Lower is better Avg Rank₅₀	Social & Moral Lower is better Avg Rank₅₁
1	Sweden	9.0	30.7
2	Norway	14.5	28.6
3	Denmark	14.5	30.0
4	Netherlands	15.6	32.1
5	New Zealand	17.3	34.0
6	Iceland	19.9	35.0
7	Canada	21.0	36.8
8	Austria	22.3	38.6
9	Luxembourg	23.7	43.3
10	Finland	23.8	31.7
11	Australia	23.9	38.2
12	Hong Kong	24.3
13	France	24.7	43.2
14	Germany	24.8	37.4
15	Belgium	25.9	40.1
16	Uruguay	26.5	53.2
17	UK	26.6	39.0
18	Spain	28.2	44.7
19	Taiwan	28.2	44.5
20	Slovenia	33.1	47.6
21	Costa Rica	36.5	55.0
22	Italy	37.1	47.4
23	Czechia	37.7	50.0
24	Ireland	38.3	40.2
25	Chile	39.9	57.2
26	Japan	41.9	40.5
27	Slovakia	42.5	58.7
28	Estonia	42.8	51.0
29	Portugal	42.8	52.7
30	Poland	43.0	56.2
31	Argentina	43.6	66.5
32	Romania	44.1	65.8
33	S. Korea	45.5	46.9
34	Malta	46.1	56.5
35	Bulgaria	46.3	65.5
36	Cyprus	46.5	59.0
37	USA	47.3	57.3
38	Switzerland	49.5	37.2
39	Brazil	52.1	70.9
40	Hungary	52.4	53.8
41	Latvia	52.5	64.4
42	Lithuania	53.0	65.8
43	Bolivia	53.6	84.2
44	Peru	53.8	73.6
45	Kosovo	54.2	65.6
46	S. Africa	56.1	80.1
47	Mexico	56.4	75.1
48	Ecuador	57.9	74.9
49	Greece	58.1	59.5
50	Croatia	58.1	65.7
q=199.

Pos.		Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020) Lower is better Avg Rank₅₀	Social & Moral Lower is better Avg Rank₅₁
51	Albania	59.3	73.2
52	Ukraine	59.5	78.5
53	Panama	59.7	78.8
54	Serbia	59.9	71.1
55	Mongolia	60.3	79.2
56	Guatemala	62.8	91.4
57	Bosnia & Herzegovina	63.2	76.7
58	Georgia	64.2	78.6
59	Colombia	64.3	80.6
60	Jamaica	64.4	81.9
61	El Salvador	66.7	88.0
62	Seychelles	66.7	79.5
63	Namibia	69.4	99.6
64	Paraguay	70.4	90.2
65	Armenia	71.4	80.0
66	Montenegro	71.8	78.4
67	Honduras	71.9	100.4
68	Mauritius	72.4	66.0
69	Liechtenstein	73.6	57.1
70	Senegal	73.8	96.5
71	Nicaragua	74.4	92.3
72	Cape Verde	75.0	89.2
73	Burkina Faso	76.1	103.3
74	Venezuela	76.5	97.2
75	Philippines	78.3	82.2
76	Belarus	78.7	81.4
77	Kyrgyzstan	79.5	87.6
78	Moldova	81.3	79.4
79	Trinidad & Tobago	81.4	77.9
80	Macedonia	82.0	78.9
81	Mali	82.2	114.6
82	Turkey	82.4	76.7
83	Russia	83.0	87.0
84	Dominican Rep.	83.1	87.0
85	Israel	83.3	66.5
86	Andorra	84.0	81.4
87	Barbados	85.0	70.3
88	Haiti	86.4	116.3
89	Suriname	86.7	98.0
90	Azerbaijan	86.9	92.7
91	Singapore	87.4	50.3
92	Tajikistan	87.8	96.7
93	Ghana	87.9	91.0
94	St Vincent & Grenadines	89.2	89.5
95	Nepal	89.9	94.3
96	S. Sudan	90.5	140.3
97	Tunisia	91.6	73.6
98	China	91.8	80.0
99	Kenya	92.4	96.3
100	Vietnam	92.7	81.5
q=199.

Pos.		Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020) Lower is better Avg Rank₅₀	Social & Moral Lower is better Avg Rank₅₁
101	Thailand	93.3	75.7
102	Niger	93.8	119.5
103	Monaco	93.8	48.8
104	Belize	93.9	91.8
105	Uganda	94.2	103.0
106	Lesotho	94.8	107.2
107=	Sri Lanka	94.8	75.2
107=	Botswana	94.8	96.2
109	Mozambique	94.9	115.0
110	Gabon	95.2	110.0
111	Benin	95.7	110.8
112	Tanzania	95.7	107.8
113	India	96.8	88.9
114	Cuba	97.4	78.3
115	Kazakhstan	97.8	87.6
116	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	98.6	103.3
117	Lebanon	98.7	89.5
118	San Marino	100.2	84.0
119	Sierra Leone	100.2	110.7
120	Ivory Coast	100.4	113.2
121	Madagascar	100.4	111.3
122	Jordan	102.0	80.7
123	Fiji	102.1	86.5
124	Cambodia	102.3	109.6
125=	Morocco	102.7	84.6
125=	Guyana	102.7	101.3
127	Rwanda	104.1	103.5
128=	Bahamas	105.0	90.8
128=	Antigua & Barbuda	105.0	88.0
130	Dominica	105.2	93.2
131	Kuwait	106.5	80.7
132	Nigeria	106.9	114.0
133	Togo	107.6	109.3
134	Laos	108.1	110.7
135	Zambia	108.6	101.4
136	Maldives	110.4	79.9
137=	Algeria	111.0	93.7
137=	Indonesia	111.0	90.1
139	Uzbekistan	111.1	90.4
140	Bahrain	112.7	84.4
141	Bangladesh	113.0	100.7
142	Egypt	113.4	94.3
143	Bhutan	114.1	84.3
144	Libya	114.8	103.6
145	Congo, (Brazzaville)	115.0	120.9
146	Cameroon	115.2	113.1
147	St Lucia	116.0	92.9
148	Guinea	116.5	116.0
149	Ethiopia	116.7	111.5
150	Guinea-Bissau	117.0	123.0
q=199.

Pos.		Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020) Lower is better Avg Rank₅₀	Social & Moral Lower is better Avg Rank₅₁
151	Gambia	117.2	113.5
152	Liberia	117.8	116.6
153	Qatar	119.2	77.5
154	UAE	119.8	75.5
155	Central African Rep.	121.0	131.6
156	Oman	121.3	86.6
157	Papua New Guinea	122.2	124.9
158	Turkmenistan	122.4	105.8
159=	St Kitts & Nevis	123.0	91.2
159=	Nauru	123.0	129.2
161	Malawi	123.2	108.3
162	Yemen	123.4	125.0
163	Sao Tome & Principe	123.5	105.8
164	Iraq	124.4	122.7
165	Burundi	126.1	124.1
166	Congo, DR	126.7	128.2
167	Malaysia	127.2	74.2
168	Grenada	128.2	83.2
169	Equatorial Guinea	128.4	135.0
170	Micronesia	128.4	117.8
171	Myanmar (Burma)	128.5	115.4
172	Chad	130.3	134.7
173	Palau	130.6	111.9
174	Tonga	132.6	102.4
175	Syria	132.9	117.4
176	Iran	133.6	97.7
177	Marshall Islands	134.2	120.8
178	Zimbabwe	134.3	120.3
179	Saudi Arabia	134.5	91.2
180	Samoa	135.9	105.2
181	Angola	136.0	127.9
182	Vanuatu	137.8	102.2
183=	Palestine	138.0
183=	Kiribati	138.0	110.5
185	Eritrea	139.5	134.5
186	Afghanistan	140.6	131.3
187	Djibouti	140.6	117.6
188	Comoros	140.8	124.0
189	Pakistan	141.3	115.7
190	Swaziland	141.8	116.5
191	Mauritania	144.4	123.1
192	Cook Islands	144.5
193	N. Korea	146.5	113.4
194	Brunei	147.1	91.1
195	Sudan	148.6	126.9
196	Vatican City	154.0
197	Tuvalu	158.4	135.8
198	Somalia	159.5	152.8
199	Solomon Islands	166.2	116.2
q=199.

3. Overall Results by Region

#antisemitism #equality #freedom #freethought #gender #gender_equality #homosexuality #human_development #human_rights #international_law #mass_media #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #religious_tolerance #slavery #tolerance #women

Area	Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020) Lower is better Avg Rank₅₀	Social & Moral Lower is better Avg Rank₅₁
Africa...	108.2	110.5
Asia...	99.9	87.7
Australasia	119.7	102.5
Baltic States	49.4	60.4
Central America	66.6	85.4
Europe...	51.4	57.4
Melanesia	132.1	107.4
Micronesia	130.8	118.0
North America	80.9	82.9
Polynesia	117.7	94.3
Scandinavia...	20.7	34.5
Small Islands...	107.0	92.6
South America	60.7	79.0
The Americas...	73.9	81.6
The Balkans	61.9	71.1
The Caribbean...	97.6	87.7
The Mediterranean	76.8	71.5
The Middle East...	111.3	89.1
World	87.9	86.8

The table here shows overall results for this category, compared with each region's average score on the Social and Moral Development Index. Regional values are calculated as an average of national results, not by total regional population. The tables below show results for each data set for each region.

Human Rights & Tolerance Data Sets by Region:

Area	HRW (2017) Higher is better Score₂	Nominal Commitment to HR (2009) Higher is better Treaties₃	HR Treaties Lag (2019) Lower is better Avg Yrs/Treaty₄	Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014) Lower is better Rank₆	Press Freedom (2013) Lower is better₈	Slavery (2018) Lower is better % Victims₁₀
Africa...	-5.6	14.8	9.88	114.2	3511	0.96
Asia...	-5.0	12.7	10.97	94.6	4378	0.79
Australasia	0.0	8.7	14.35	36.0	2164	0.38
Baltic States	5.0	17.0	11.49	21.7	1680	0.44
Central America	0.0	19.6	6.83	75.0	2709	0.25
Europe...	3.5	19.5	9.09	33.9	2044	0.38
Melanesia	-3.0	9.8	14.77	67.5	2783	1.03
North America	0.2	14.5	9.70	64.2	2827	0.28
Scandinavia...	4.8	20.2	7.02	14.7	783	0.21
Small Islands...	0.2	10.3	12.87	60.2	2766	0.40
South America	-1.8	20.2	6.06	83.3	2883	0.22
The Americas...	-0.8	16.5	8.45	72.4	2853	0.25
The Balkans	0.0	20.6	10.16	51.1	2964	0.56
The Caribbean...	-4.0	11.3	11.63	66.0	3141	0.36
The Mediterranean	-0.8	18.3	8.79	76.1	3357	0.44
The Middle East...	-5.4	12.4	10.37	111.3	4561	0.41
World	-1.9	15.1	10.02	79.7	3249	0.65

Gender Equality Data Sets by Region:

Area	Gender Inequality (2015) Lower is better₂₁	Gender Biases (2022) Lower is better %₂₂	Year Women Can Vote Lower is better Year
Africa...	0.54	98.10	1961
Asia...	0.36	94.24	1907
Australasia	0.39	35.72	1962
Baltic States	0.15	78.28	1919
Central America	0.42	91.38	1952
Europe...	0.15	69.08	1895
Melanesia	0.48		1970
North America	0.37	78.72	1946
Polynesia	0.42	34.44	1953
Scandinavia...	0.06	51.16	1915
Small Islands...	0.36	86.44	1959
South America	0.41	86.15	1950
The Americas...	0.39	82.90	1947
The Balkans	0.18	73.59	1942
The Caribbean...	0.39	93.17	1947
The Mediterranean	0.24	82.62	1950
The Middle East...	0.39	96.05	1838
World	0.36	83.93	1930

Prejudice Data Sets by Region:

Area	Anti-Semite Opinions (2014) Lower is better %₂₆	LGBT Equality (2017) Higher is better Score₃₆	Freedom of Thought (2021) Lower is better₃₉
Africa...	45.9	-10.4	3.1
Asia...	48.2	-02.1	3.7
Australasia	14.0	07.1	2.6
Baltic States	28.7	33.3	2.8
Central America	38.5	31.4	3.0
Europe...	29.9	46.9	2.6
North America	28.2	16.6	2.8
Polynesia	14.0	-02.4	2.8
Scandinavia...	13.5	67.3	2.2
Small Islands...	35.7	02.8	2.7
South America	31.6	44.2	2.6
The Americas...	29.7	26.1	2.7
The Balkans	43.2	35.3	2.6
The Caribbean...	27.3	-01.1	2.8
The Mediterranean	55.9	17.0	3.3
The Middle East...	77.8	-18.8	4.3
World	36.8	12.6	3.0