Sweden is the best country in the world for women, at least according to a large american survey done by US News & World Report together with University of Pennsylvania and the brand consultants BAV Consulting. The survey ranks 80 countries around the world based on how closely people associate them with certain attributes such as human rights, gender equality, income equality, safety and overall progressive attitude. More than 21,000 respondents were interviewed and most of the respondents classified themselves as belonging to an ”informed elite” or being decision makers in business. The other Scandinavian countries also did well: Sweden was followed by Denmark and Norway. Finland came 6th.

According to New York Times this may come as a surprise to American conservatives, some of whom — like the Fox News host Bill O’Reilly have argued in recent weeks that criminal hordes of Muslim immigrants have forced frightened Swedish women to barricade themselves at home.

On the other hand some other studies suggest that Sweden may not be perfect paradise for women. Earlier this week, an organization promoting diversity in the workplace investigated a number of Sweden’s biggest private equity firms and found only 3 out of 92 top positions were held by women. Around 32 percent of board members of listed companies are women, and this figure appears to be growing.

Source: Read the US News story