Freedom of Discussion for Women
By: V-Dem Staff
Mar 25, 2019
16-year-old Greta Thunberg from Sweden has been fighting to stop global warming and climate change. She made the headlines in August 2018 for protesting by sitting outside the Swedish parliament for 3 weeks instead of attending school. Her demands were for the Swedish Government reduce carbon emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement. She demands that politicians take action on the fight against global warmingand has inspired students across the globe to take part in similar student strikes.
21-year-old Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan has been defending the right to free education for girls. Pakistani females were banned from attending school and cultural activities in 2007, after the Taliban took control over the Swat Valley in Pakistan. Malala was eleven when she started writing and campaigning against the Taliban’s actions. She was consequently shot by the group while travelling on a bus back from school. Malala has continued her role as an activist since her recovery. She advocates for millions of girls worldwide who do not have access to education. At 17, she was the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
This week we use V-Dem’s Interactive Maps tool to illustrate the differences in freedom of discussion as experienced by women across the globe. This V-Dem indicator measures the ability of women to openly discuss political issues at homes and public spaces. It is scaled from 0 (no respect and subjection to harassment for express political opinions) to 4 (full respect and freedom of speech). The map shows a high level of inequality around the globe. As with most countries in Europe, Sweden has a high score of 3.55 while Pakistan’s score of 2.54 is one of the higher scores in its region.
To check our indicators, please visit v-dem.net.
