the *DON* JONES INDEX…
		GAINS POSTED in GREEN LOSSES POSTED in RED 5/13/24... 14,848.65 5/6/24... 14,852.48
	6/27/13… 15,000.00
*(THE DOW* JONES INDEX: 5/13/24... 39,572.64; 5/6/24... 38,765.78; 6/27/13… 15,000.00)**

LESSON for MAY THIRTEENTH, 2024

MOTHER SUCKERS

Yesterday was Mother’s Day. For the fortunate... in the words of Mexican President Obrador... “hugs, not bullets.” Also candy and flowers, breakfast in bed... maybe even a little help with the housework.

There is no shortage of news about the gender gap; as much, if not more, than of the generation gap. The talking heads during these days of rage might have one believe that men and women are enemies, as are moms (and dads) and kids, MAGA and Me Too, blacks and whites, Muslims and Jews, Christians, infidels and on and on and onwards.

But a majority, at least in these United States... if not a plurality... will honor Mom, her work amidst the house and kids and maybe an outside job (or three).

Motherhood, like God, the flag and apple pie, is a staple of political discourse. So it was not surprising that President Joseph Biden paid tribute to his wife and mother, along with perhaps a hundred million others – maybe not by passing childcare or minwage legislation but, at least, by issuing a Proclamation.

“Today, we show gratitude to moms and mother-figures for loving their children unconditionally; raising them with care, courage, and grit; and leading by the power of their example.”

The President recalls his own mother, Catherine, onstage on the night that Biden and Barack won the 2008 election. He pays tribute to Jill and to the mothers of Amrica and “225,000 childcare providers” he supported with the Child Tax Credit and American Rescue Plan.

“NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 12, 2024, as Mother’s Day. I urge all Americans to express their love, respect, and gratitude to mothers everywhere. I call upon all citizens to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities...” (Attachment One)

But, being that motherhood, being iconic, has now become as partisan as the budget or the border, he also issued a “brutal” video (Newsweek, May 12^th, Attachment Two) that “started off tranquil with scenes of mothers with their children and the words, "Happy Mother's Day" written on the bottom” but then turned dark and angry, blaming his likely Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, for separating migrant families and, now, proposing to “monitor” pregnant women to forestall abortions – an attack that garnered the equally angry response from Djonald UnSettled, who termed the message 'Sad, miserable, cowardly' and excoriated Democrats who “clearly suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome.” (Fox, Attachment Three)

Some of the people whom you might not expect to be moms... they are moms. Stormy Daniels, who spent much of last week on the witness stand is a mom. (legit.ag, Attachment Four) So are Beyonce (3 kids), Madonna (6) and even MTG!

Holy Haley Bieber!... Justin’s spouse, announced her impending motherhood this week.

While the existant holiday is largely confined to the United States, foreigners often celebrate too, albeit on other days. While President Woodrow Wilson in 1914 declared the second Sunday of May a national holiday, seven years after the holidary was first started by Anna Jarvis at a Methodist church in West Virginia other countries, over the years, have adopted variants: “Mexico celebrates on May 10, Thailand on August 12, Peru the second Sunday of May, and France typically the last Sunday in May, while the United Kingdom celebrates on the last Sunday of Lent, which varies each year.”

On the occasion, CBS News aired and published tributes to mothers as practiced across the world (Attachment Five) including revelations that Mexicans usually have the day off, so when the holiday falls on a weekday, they're able to stay home and spend the day with their mom; Peruvians “congregate at cemeteries to pay respect to deceased mothers, aunts, and grandmothers – particularly those who live in the provinces outside of the capital of Lima” and leave food, drinks, and flowers on the graves.

In the U.K., Mother's Day goes by a different name: "Mothering Sunday," which honors the connection to the church in addition to mothers. During the Middle Ages, people who had moved away would come back each year on the fourth Sunday of Lent to visit their "Mother" church — typically where they were baptized. Today, Mothering Sunday is still celebrated on the last Sunday of Lent, the date of which varies each year. The English, to whom Princess Diana remains an idol (Queen Camilla less so) celebrate this Mother’s Day on March tenth.

In Thailand, Mother's Day is a holiday that the entire country joins in on — it's a public holiday and people are given the day off...August 12... to coincide with the birthday of Queen Sirikit, a member of the Thai royal family/ And in France, Mother's Day typically takes place on the last Sunday of May where flowers are the most common gift.

Everybody, everywhere (except in places like Rafah) eats.

Mothers' Day is not a public holiday in the Evil Empire, but is privately celebrated on Sunday, November 24, 2024, tho’ most businesses follow regular Sunday opening hours in Russia. Vladimir Putin did not issue a statement on the American holiday (being otherwise occupied slaughtering Ukrainian mothers, fathers and children) but the wio news webside dug up a photo of his mom, Maria Ivanova Putin, along with other mothers of the rich, famous and infamous – which you can see here.

“The most important thing for every woman — no matter what career she chooses and what she is able to achieve in it — is family … [and] taking tireless care of children,” Bad Vlad told the Moscow Times on International Women’s Day (March 8^th, Attachment Six).

“The statement marks a doubling down on Putin's efforts to encourage Russian women to have more children amid flagging birthrates and the loss of tens of thousands of men in the war in Ukraine.”

China celebrates on the same day as in the United States though it is considered a lesser holiday. Childern, nonetheless, often give Mom gifts of flowers and President Xi... no stranger to public relations... offered up his own homilies to Moms and families.

When delivering his Spring Festival greetings in 2015, the dictator quoted the poem "Song of the Parting Son" by Meng Jiao in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to explain how the tradition of strong family ties remains unchanged throughout history.

"From the threads a mother's hand weaves, a gown for parting son is made. Sown stitch by stitch before he leaves, for fear his return be delayed," Xi quoted.

"The Chinese nation has always valued family and cherished familial bonds since ancient times," he said.

On Saturday, Olena Zelenska described the Russian kidnapping of Ukrainian children and called for the world not to forget Putin’s invasion. It is not easy being a foster mother during a time of war. “It’s not easy to take so many children to the bomb shelter every time the air-raid sirens wail.” (Washington Post, Attachment Eight)

Similarly, on both sides of the Hamas – Israeli war, mothers have denounced the fighting. The Islamist press is more partisan... aa.com in Turkey (Attachment Nine) wrote that “Gazan mothers grieve for children lost to war” and “...Nearly 10,000 women killed, 19,000 others injured in Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7” (choosing to omit how the war started).

They tell the stories of Palestinian parents scavenging for garbage to feed their children and “plastic, nylon, cardboard, and any combustible materials” to cook meals and heat their tents and shacks. The Turks cited the UN agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) on May 3, an average of 37 children lose their mothers every day in the Gaza Strip.

The agency said that “the war in Gaza continues to be a war on women.”

The customarily fair and balanced Al Jazeera turned up the heat on Israel on March 21^st in describing how one Gazan mother lost four children, killed by Jews. (Attachment Ten)

In early December, when the children were with their father, who took them to Khan Younis for their safety, Alaa el-Qatrawi heard that Israeli tanks were getting closer to the house where they were staying. “One day, Israeli forces stormed the house and attacked her ex-husband and his brothers. They said the soldiers beat them severely and stole money, mobile phones and gold.”

That was not the worst of it.

“She did not hear from them or find out what happened until, a month later, her brother-in-law was able to get to the house only to find it destroyed and the smell of decomposing bodies emanating from it...” Yamen, Orchid, Kanan and Carmel.”

Describing how she bought a princess dress for Orchid and toys for the other kids on a trip to the UAE, she now mourns that the toys are unused and the dress practically unworn “because it’s more of a summer dress, and now summer will come and Orchid isn’t here to wear the dress.”

She stops to cry.

“Orchid was so proud of me because I’m a poet. She used to tell me she wanted to be a poet and go on TV.

“She truly was an orchid. I chose a poetic name for her, and she grew into it.”

Over the border, families of the Israeli hostages wonder if they will ever see their loved ones again. Also on Saturday, the Times of Israel reported that some would demonstrate to “mourn the memory of the hostages who have been killed and their bodies are being held by Hamas...” (Attachment Eleven) as Israel is readying “to mark Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and those killed in terror attacks, starting Sunday evening.”

“Time has run out for the murdered hostages. We need a deal now that will allow us to bring home the murdered for burial and the living for rehabilitation,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.

Speakers at the demonstratons included: Hagit and Ruby Chen, the parents of Itay Chen, whose body is held in Gaza after he was killed during Hamas’s October 7 onslaught; Richelle Tzarfati, the mother of Ofir Tzarfati, whose body was recovered from Gaza in December; Maya Ahimas, sister of hostage Tomer Ahimas, who was killed fighting terrorists on October 7 and his body taken to Gaza; and French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy.

“Talks have continued for months without a decisive breakthrough. Israel has said it is determined to eliminate Hamas, while Hamas says it wants a permanent ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.” Past statements from Hamas, as well as Hezbollah, ISIS and others have demanded an Israeli withdrawl from Israel and, in fact, from the planet.

“The Biden administration has said Hamas is the only party standing in the way of a deal.”

Tuesday’s Jerusalem Post also profiled the mothers of hostages and victims of the Hamas attack (Attachment Twelve) where Rachel Goldberg, the U.S.-Israeli mother of Hersh Goldberg Polin, who was taken hostage by militants of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas from the Gaza Strip during the October 7 attack on a music festival in south Israel called on America to step up its support for Israel despite criticism from international humanitarian organizations and neo-Nazi college students.

"The United States is also among the victims of October 7," she said. "And it cannot see its role as a neutral mediator. Forty-five American citizens were butchered on October 7, and twelve others were taken hostage to Gaza, eight of whom are still held hostage."

Rachel and John, responding to a video, presumably coerced, asked “all intermediaries and parties involved in negotiations” to make a courageous decision that would allow them to reunite with their son. “Hersh, if you're listening, we heard your voice for the first time in 200 days. We love you, stay strong."

A feminist perspective (from, of all media, Feminine-Perspective Magazine, May 12, Attachment Thirteen) places all of the blame for the carnage on America and Americans.

Whereas the civilian death toll hovers in the area of 35,000 (IDF apologists say at least a third of whom are Hamas terrorists), the Femine perspective alleges a certainty of casualties, potentially reaching up to 100,000 women and children, as humanitarians are uncertain about the number of Palestinians “buried beneath the rubble caused by American bombs that collapse apartment buildings, trapping all inside.

“Visiting these structures with dogs while studying missing person reports we know there are thousands of unreported dead buried deep by America’s 2,000-pound deep penetration bombs that are deliberately focused on mass killing women and kids as a recipe for ethnic cleansing.”

The “Feminine” solution...promulgated by one Michael John O’Brien (!) is simple.

“Palestinian people must be set free from American-enforced Israeli apartheid over the occupied territories of the Palestinians. American colonization of Israel must end too.

“Exploitative USA imperialism is arguably what is killing tens of thousands of women and children in Gaza, the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. America’s subordinated Israeli colony is worse.”

American-supplied 2,000-pound BLU-109 bombs kill civilians by “imploding residential apartment buildings inwards on the young women and small children living within their apartments” which makes America guilty of genocide. “Happy bloody mother’s day, Biden, Netanyahu,” the FP adds, concluding that: “The history of the United States is a history of settler colonialism and genocides.”

On another issue, America is not quite the epitome of all that is evil in the world, but its status had slid somewhat since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Somewhat confirmed in gist, if not in venom, ABC News (June 23, 2023, two years ago, Attachment Fourteen) reported that the U.S. ranking for gender equality worldwide fell significantly over the past year due to a “widening gap in political empowerment and health outcomes between men and women, according to a study released on Tuesday by the World Economic Forum.”

The falloff in the U.S. ranking from last year “was largely due to a widening gap between men and women in the realm of political empowerment, which measures factors such as the share of women who hold positions in the federal legislature and as heads of state, the study found.

The U.S. also faces a growing gender divide over life expectancy, the study showed. Over the last decade, women's healthy life expectancy has declined by five years and men's by close to three years, according to the study.

Whether or not America and Israel are bad countries, full of bad people, a number of august international organizations and media have taken up the practice of ranking nations upon various topics, based on various perspectives.

For Mother’s Day, a few of these relative to the status of women (some dating back days, months or even years) include...

U.S. News Best Countries 2023 rankings: (Attachment Fifteen) which finds Switzerland to be Number One and the United States to be Number Five (of 87... worst of which is Iran)...

The World Bank (Attachment Sixteen) ranking of gender inequalities and equalities... finding Australia to be the most equal among 189 with America ranked 20^th and Yemen last...

CEOWORLD magazine (a presumed Bible of Chief Executive Officers... and all that that implies) ranked the Netherlands as the world’s best country for women. (Attachment Seventeen, April 15^th, 2024), Again, the USA ranked 20^th of 156 surveyed (the rankers rank or don’t depending upon their own whims) and the worst country for women was deemed to be the Central African Republic.

Another ABC News report (this on May 4, two years ago, Attachment Eighteen) reported that United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres has “long believed that sexual and reproductive health and rights are the foundation for lives of choice, empowerment and equality for the world's women and girls," said Farhan Haq, a spokesman for the secretary-general shortly before the overthrow.

After Politico obtained a leaked draft of the high court's conservative majority’s intent to overturn the 1973 abortion rights precedent from Roe v. Wade “via a case the court is currently deciding, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization”, Mister Haq said that "[Guterres] has repeatedly pointed to what he has said is a global push‑back that we're seeing on women's rights, including reproductive rights and essential health services.”

Several other indices of women’s status have also been found and are included as Attachment “A”.

Our Lesson: May Sixth through May Twelfth, 2024

Monday, May 6, 2024

Dow: 38,952.27

It’s National Nurses’ Day. For those nursing a Cinco de Mayo hangover, it’s just another Monday... probably worse than most. For some residents of the Midwest, it was probably a lot worse... due to flooding rains, hail and tornadoes. “It ain’t a fire,” one exasperated Jones says, “but it’s a close second..” some places have gotten 800% of the normal rain – and there’s more to come.

Stormy weather extends to court as Stormy Daniels takes the stand to testify against Djonald ExPosed... which she does with a vengeance. And with details: some talking heads describe them as tawdry. Maybe even too graphic for the National Enquirer!

RFK Junior and Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) enter the week on winning streaks but both are tripped up by critters, and by their own tongue. Not yet nominated Veep yet, Noem publishes her autobiography/manifesto and describes murdering a disobedient puppy. Bobby’s boy tops this by revealing that his brain is being eaten by worms – just what you’d want in a President.

And the rest of the week goes on like the last with wars... Ukraine and Gaza... SecState Blinken’s hopeless negotiations to seal a cease fire/hostage deal: President Joe warning Israeli PM Netanyahu not to send ground troops into Rafah (which, of course, he does). And atop it all... cicadas!

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Dow: 38.88

Israel blows off Hamas “generous” deal, pissing off President Joe who threatens to suspend offensive military aid if they invade Rafah (which they do). Republicans pissed off because Biden is an anti-Semite. Protesters say “we’re not gonna solve everything in the MidEast but let’s being the hostages home.” Rich college kids protest Biden as anti-Muslim, then pivot to force the Boy Scouts to change their name to Scouting (Girl Scouts can keep their name, and their cookies). Spin doctors spin to fit November’s elections.

Neglected campaign issue: social security will go broke in 2035, requiring either benefit cuts or taxes raised. But new graduates cannot find jobs because scammers are taking control of the hiring process.

Stormy jury takes a day off from the sex to scrutinize receipts and bookkeeping entries as Don Jones yawns and Miss U.S.A. resigns because the pageant was destroying her mental health.

Pulitzer Prize goes to the Invisible Institute for its work on black women who have gone... uh... missing. The Oprah book of the month is “Long Island” by Colm Toibin.

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Dow: 39,051.89

It’s National Holocaust Remembrance Day. President Joe pauses his gift of 3.500 bombs to drop on Rafah civilians. DefSec Austin and Homeland Security Chief Mayorkas maintain that they still believe a deal can be dealt.

Ms. Daniels takes the stand. Tabloid-town goes positively giddy over the salacious stories that slide off Stormy’s tongue... silk pajamas, spankings. Djonald seethes and curses as the witness calls him an “Orange Turd” and Judge Marchan recesses testimony until tomorrow.

Down in Mar-a-Lago, the docs case was postponed again... probably until after the election... because there are just too many docs to process.

As if Stormy sex wasn’t enough, there’s the Kendrick Lamar v. Drake feud (which more than a few of the media hopes ends up like the Tupac/Notorious B.I.G. scuffle). A security guard has already been shot outside Drake’s Canadian home, and Kendrick calls his rival a pedophile... speaking of which, Harvey Weinstein is sent back to Riker’s Island. In the other feud of the week, Prince Harry snubs dad and brother as he flies back in and out of England for the Invictus Games.

Thursday, May 9, 2024

Dow: 39,397.76

The tornadoes keep rolling in from Texas to the Carolina, plus numerous thunderstorms. Weathergirl Ginger Zee says “...we got a ton of popcorn and it keeps poppin’”) adding that temperatures reached 108° on the streets of Laredo, but only 29° in Colorado.

No popcorn in Stormy’s court but the testimony and tempers are poppin’ too as Team Trump takes its turn cross examining Daniels, but eliciting only more delicious dirt. But Trump wins one in Atlanta where a court agrees to consider removing evil Prosecutor Fani Wallis, delaying that case too. Once a slinger of anti-Semitic slogans, Djonald is now posing as a defender of Israel and foe of all those idiot college protesters.

As contentions of election deceptions refuse to go away, TikTok agrees (under pressure) to label posts that are believed to be AI generated “deep fakes” that even soil the Met Gala with footage of celebrities there who really weren’t there.

Durty stinkin’ RINOs join with donkey boys to save the job of Speaker Mike and sent MTG into a rage against traitors. She’s looking for help from Djona;d, but Trump avoids comment.

Friday, May 10, 2024

Dow: 38,765.78

Today is the deadline that Israel gave America to complete a deal with Hamas before they invade Rafah and start killing (more) civilians... a State Department report confirms that they are using the American weapons for Gazacide; Netanyahu stands firm, vowing to fight with his fingernails as President Joe trembles, but promises to withhold thousands of rockets and bombs and drones. Russia is launching a spring offensive in the northeast, near Kharkiv, so here’s a solution: give weapons designated for Israel to Zelenskyy (survivor of another assanation attempt) to fight Mad Vlad.

Anti-Israel Kollege Kids ain’t satisfied with Biden, they continue rioting and forcing graduation ceremony cancellations; police fight back with tear and pepper gas and rubber bullets and occasional real bullets that draw events ever closer to Kent and Jackson State. A school board in Virginia retaliates by re-naming a de-named school after Confederate heroes.

The week ends mostly as it began... stormy weather (the tornadoes have shifted southeast from Texas to Tallahassee) and Stormy on the stand with her pornographic testimony and naked marching... t-shirts and candles and comic books – telling critics she’s just aping Djonald’s Bibles. She also denied that she faked sex in 200 x-rated movies but was disgusted by the sight of Trump on her bed in his underwear.

Next week: Michael Cohen. Judge Marchan takes a break from fining and gagging Trump to warn Cohen against Trump trolling, but no fines or jail term. As yet...

Saturday, May 11, 2024

Dow: Closed

Weekend polls show swing voters hate Biden’s “open borders” policy (after several high-profile murders) but would worry about Trump’s conviction chaos but the swing to RFK Junior craters after he blabs about his brain being eaten by worms. Are he and Nicki Haley that stupid, or do they just don’t want to be President?

Maybe not as housing prices rise ten percent yearly and homeless rises among working people (not just crazies and junkies) while hopelessness spikes abroad. Russia’s spring offensive catches and kills in Ukrainian towns near Kharkiv as Netanyahu blows off Biden to send IDF into Rafah, killing a few Hamasites and many more civilians. Peace talks collapse and Blinken goes back to America with hat in hand as critics attack the State Dept. report from left and right and a dissident Israeli General warns that Rafah invasion might escalate into a war with Egypt.

As national debt nears $35 trillion and personal debt tops $100T (or 500 Elon Musks). Texas appeals court blocks Biden election year order to credit card companies to lower late fee gouging to $8. The matter next goes to the Supremes, likely to reward Big Gouging with a Big Win.

Sunday, May 12, 2024

Dow: Closed

It’s Mother’s Day and the talking heads are all celebrating Mom and marching everything from flowers to candy. Coincidentally, the Eurovision wokesters award victory to a non-binary Swiss but heckle the Israeli entry as the IDF drives deeper into Rafah and spokesjews allege their assault is “limited” to finding terrorists and tunnels while Hamas (believe ‘em or don’t) says the civilian death toll now tops 35,000.

Pro-Joe talkers tremble at the prospect of a three (Gaza, Lebanon, Egypt) or six-point (add Jordan, Iraq and Syria) war. Sen. Chris Coons (D-De) blames Iran while Mike McCaul (R-Tx) remembers Reagan’s genius in Iraq to FDR groveling and giving E. Europe to Russia. Faithless John Kirby says Rafahgate will kill “massive” numbers of civilians as Hamas just “melts away” to fight another day. “This Week”’s round circle alleges Don Jones only cares about e-con-Me, not Rafah or Stormy (Charles Lane, WashPost) as President Joe muddles in the middle (Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review) and all predict Republicans will resort to impreching Biden again.

On “Face the Nation” lefty Sen. Chris van Holland (D-Md) praises Biden’s decision to suspend delivery of the 3,500 pound Big Bombs to Bibi while MAGAnaut Tom Cotton (R-Ar) calls POTUS a “weasly mealymoutn” who views foreign policy through the prism of the election and says under President Trump, Hamas would never have attacked Israel. “60 Minutes” warns Americans not to forget Hezbollah in Lebanon and mourns Mother’s Day inflation (with roses $67 a dozen, buying potted plants recommended).

Pundit and SecPress emeritus George Stephanopolous merches his new book “The Situation Room”, dealing with occurrences therein, while comedian Bill Maher merches his “What This Comedian Said Will Shock You” calling out the partisans and cancel culture.

Yet another slow week... gains on Wall Street overtaken by mean legislation by corrupt politicians (especially in Florida). Talking heads argued whether the Joneses were following Trump’s trials and more or less agreed they were... but only for the salacious sex stuff (which a majority of MAGAmen saw as a testimony to the former President’s virility. Even the Christians went along... some of them also joining up with left-wing college dupes and neo-Nazis to hate on the Jews (who made it easier via their indiscriminate bombing of Gaza). All in all a sour week, but not very... Easter and Mother’s Day are over, for what they were worth, and it’s two weeks to Memorial Day.

THE DON JONES INDEX

CHART of CATEGORIES w/VALUE ADDED to EQUAL BASELINE of 15,000

(REFLECTING… approximately… DOW JONES INDEX of June 27, 2013)

Gains in indices as improved are noted in GREEN. Negative/harmful indices in RED as are their designation. (Note – some of the indices where the total went up created a realm where their value went down... and vice versa.) See a further explanation of categories here…

ECONOMIC INDICES		(60%)
CATEGORY	VALUE	BASE	RESULTS by PCTG.			SCORE		OUR SOURCES and COMMENTS
INCOME	(24%)	6/17/13 [revsd. 1/1/22	LAST	CHANGE	NEXT	LAST WEEK	THIS WEEK	RESULTS by STATISTIC.
Wages (hrly. Per cap)	9%	1350 points	5/6/24	+0.13%	6/24	1,503.91	1,503.91	https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/wages 29.79 nc .83
Median Inc. (yearly)	4%	600	5/6/24	+0.0025%	5/20/24	670.17	670.19	http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 39,513
Unempl. (BLS – in mi)	4%	600	5/6/24	+2.56%	6/24	584.92	584.92	http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000/ 3.8 3.9
Official (DC – in mi)	2%	300	5/6/24	+0.13%	5/20/24	235.85	235.54	http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 6,757 768 777
Unofficl. (DC – in mi)	2%	300	5/6/24	+0.08%	5/20/24	250.05	249.85	http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 12,768 779 789
Workforce Participation Number Percent	2%	300	5/6/24	+0.006% +0.0002%	5/20/24	302.27	302.27(05)	In 161,840 853 863 Out 100,082 088 093Total: 261,922 941 56 http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 61.79
WP % (ycharts)*	1%	150	5/6/24	+0.32%	5/24	151.43	151.43	https://ycharts.com/indicators/labor_force_participation_rate 62.70
OUTGO	(15%)
Total Inflation	7%	1050	4/24	+0.4%	5/24	962.47	962.47	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm +0.4 nc
Food	2%	300	4/24	+0.1%	5/24	273.80	273.80	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm +0.1
Gasoline	2%	300	4/24	+1.7%	5/24	233.15	233.15	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm +1.7
Medical Costs	2%	300	4/24	+0.5%	5/24	290.49	290.49	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm +0.6
Shelter	2%	300	4/24	+0.4%	5/24	264.72	264.72	http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm +0.4
WEALTH
*Dow* Jones Index	2%	300	5/6/24	+2.08%	5/20/24	325.16	331.93	https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/index/ 39.572.64
Home (Sales) (Valuation)	1% 1%	150 150	5/6/24	-4.34% +1.42%	6/24	135.96 281.21	135.96 281.21	*https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics* Sales (M): 4.19 Valuations (K): 393.5
Debt (Personal)	2%	300	5/6/24	+0.04%	5/20/24	264.02	263.93	http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 75,985
GOVERNMENT	(10%)
Revenue (trilns.)	2%	300	5/6/24	+0.21%	5/20/24	409.58	410.40	debtclock.org/ 4,829
Expenditures (tr.)	2%	300	5/6/24	+0.21%	5/20/24	311.22	310.56	debtclock.org/ 6,651
National Debt tr.)	3%	450	5/6/24	+0.046%	5/20/24	387.48	387.30	http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 34,731
Aggregate Debt (tr.)	3%	450	5/6/24	+0.09%	5/20/24	397.06	396.69	http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 100,097

TRADE	(5%)
Foreign Debt (tr.)	2%	300	5/6/24	+0.12%	5/20/24	297.65	297.29	http://www.usdebtclock.org/ 8,303
Exports (in billions)	1%	150	5/6/24	-2.05%	6/24	159.99	159.99	https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/current/index.html 257.6
Imports (in billions))	1%	150	5/6/24	-1.50%	6/24	167.52	167.52	https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/current/index.html 327.0
Trade Surplus/Deficit (blns.)	1%	150	5/6/24	+0.72%	6/24	302.85	302.85	https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/current/index.html 69.4

SOCIAL INDICES		(40%)
ACTS of MAN	(12%)
World Affairs	3%	450	5/6/24	-0.2%	5/20/24	447.57	446.67	A stupid soldier follows his Internet date to Russia where she turns him in to the police, meaning he can be held and traded for more Puticians. Homelessness soars in liberal Netherlands.
War and terrorism	2%	300	5/6/24	-0.3%	5/20/24	285.09	284.23	Bibi shrugs off Biden’s threats on Rafah. Russia launches Spring Offensive. Cease fire for hostages deal collapses in Gaza. Cartels killing candidates in Mexico’s election, Hindu-Muslim wars driving India’s race. World forgets Haiti as gangs continue warring for control.
Politics	3%	450	5/6/24	+0.2%	5/20/24	477.62	478.52	Speaker Mike’s job is saved – by Democrats! MTG is left one angry mother... uh... mother of three. Divorced. Stormy testifies and merches comic books and candles to counter Djonald’s Bibles while Trump holds a “massive” rally on the Jersey shore. Bruce doesn’t show and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) goes on trial for trading favors to Egypt and Qatar for gold bars. (He blames his wife.)
Economics	3%	450	5/6/24	-0.1%	5/20/24	443.69	443.25	With Social Security and Medicare going broke in a decade, be reasy for more rate hikes and/or service cuts. Planet Fitness raises monthly fee from $10 to $15. National retailers’ lobby says Americans will spend $3.3B on Mother’s Day gifts.
Crime	1%	150	5/6/24	-0.2%	5/20/24	235.67	235.20	Florida sheriff goes to wrong address and shoots black USAF airman. Five cops shot in Atlanta, suspect killed. Scammers targeting high school and college graduates with job offers that seem to good to be true... and are! Cyberhackers shut down hospitals for fun or ransomes.
ACTS of GOD	(6%)
Environment/Weather	3%	450	5/6/24	-0.1%	5/20/24	386.03	385.64	A whole week of rain, hail, flooding and tornadoes. In Kalamazoo, MI, people shelter in libraries and Fed Ex building. “Immense and dense” tornado tally keeps rising... 110 Thurs., 125 Fri., 259 by Saturday. Solar storms make for brilliant Aurora Borealis for those not under stormclouds (but also impacts power grids and cellphones to draw first NOAA warning in twenty years).
Disasters	3%	450	5/6/24	nc	5/20/24	419.67	419.67	The wicked weather causes tragic deaths and inspirational rescues... flash floods kill hundreds in Afghanistan and Brazil, but a nine year old boy saves his parents from twister-crushed truck; fisherman survives fall into ocean full of hungry sharks.
LIFESTYLE/JUSTICE INDEX		(15%)
Science, Tech, Education	4%	600	5/6/24	-0.2%	5/20/24	634.63	633.36	Boeing looks to save its reputation by sending astronauts to the ISS on its Starline rocket but... being Boeing... the launch fails. There are more plane crashes and near crashes (some are Boeing’s fault, others due to shortage of air traffic controllers) so the FAA starts drafting air safety bills. Teenage angst over potential TikTok ban, vigilantes say even Biden uses it. College commencements disrupted, even cancelled by rich, white, wealthy Hamas followers.
Equality (econ/social)	4%	600	5/6/24	-0.3%	5/20/24	648.12	644.18	Pulitizer winning Invisible Institute of Chicago investigating missing black women. Wokesters enhance and complicate matters by bring back schools named after Confederate heroes as Kim Godwin, the first Black woman to run a broadcast news division, is purged, Chinese banned from buying homes in Florida (which also bans enacting shade and water protection for workers and lab-grown meat). Target removes gay merch under threats of boycotts and killing employees.
Health	4%	600	5/6/24	-0.2%	5/20/24	465.27	464.34	Planters recalls tainted snacks as Mister Peanut is supplanted by Mister Listeria. Fast food prices have doubled and home prices up 40% over four years, so low-income workers have to buy tents and fall back on garden weeds and ramen. RFK junior confesses that worms have been eating his brain and Americans who eat processed food are also killing their brains. “Brains!”
Freedom and Justice	3%	450	5/6/24	-0.1%	5/20/24	466.94	466.00	Back to Rikers’ Island goes Harvey Weinstein. The Stormy show runs nearly all week – next week: Michael Cohen whom TV lawyers call a “wild card”. Miss Teen USA follows Miss USA in resigning from what they think is a corrupt organization marching contestants to “rich old men.” Texas court blocks bank fee reform, gratifying gougers.
CULTURAL and MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTS			(6%)
Cultural Incidents	3%	450	5/6/24	-0.2%	5/20/24	529.33	528.27	NBA down to Elite Eight. “Planet of the Apes” leads at box office, despite racist implications. Swiss transgender Nemo wins at Eurovision; Israel’s entry booed and heckled. Weird fashions manifest at Met Gala, which raises $26M, up from 22 last year, for the the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. RIP: Roger Corman, King of the B’s (Little Shop of Horrors), David Shapiro: famous feet on desk Columbia protester... in 1968... drummer David Thompson (MC5), Richard Slayman, pioneer pig kidney transplant recipient, Rep. Pete McCloskey (R-Ca), anti-Nixon activist, “Little Joe” the St. Louis zoo gorilla and the Chevy Malibu.
Misc. Incidents	3%	450	5/6/24	+0.2%	5/20/24	513.08	514.11	Terrified civilians call 911 over noisy cicadas... foodies respond: “Eat them!” A woman makes clothes out of the ugly bugs. Amazon rolls out 13,000 electric delivery vehicles with 100,000 more to come.

The Don Jones Index for the week of May 6th, through 12^th, 2024 was DOWN 3.83 points

The Don Jones Index is sponsored by the Coalition for a New Consensus: retired Congressman and Independent Presidential candidate Jack “Catfish” Parnell, Chairman; Brian Doohan, Administrator. The CNC denies, emphatically, allegations that the organization, as well as any of its officers (including former Congressman Parnell, environmentalist/America-Firster Austin Tillerman and cosmetics CEO Rayna Finch) and references to Parnell’s works, “Entropy and Renaissance” and “The Coming Kill-Off” are fictitious or, at best, mere pawns in the web-serial “Black Helicopters” – and promise swift, effective legal action against parties promulgating this and/or other such slanders.

Comments, complaints, donations (especially SUPERPAC donations) always welcome at feedme@generisis.com or: speak@donjonesindex.com.

ATTACHMENT ONE – FROM WHITEHOUSE.ORG

MAY 10, 2024

A Proclamation on Mother’s Day, 2024

Today, we show gratitude to moms and mother-figures for loving their children unconditionally; raising them with care, courage, and grit; and leading by the power of their example.

On my desk in the Oval Office, I have a picture of my mother, Catherine Eugenia “Jean” Finnegan, in Grant Park on the night that President Barack Obama and I won the 2008 election. That night, my mother walked on stage, took my and President Obama’s hands, and said, “Come on honey, it’s going to be okay.” That was my mother — fearless, caring, and ready to lend anyone the bravery that always resided in her heart. She taught my siblings and me that courage was the greatest virtue, instilled in us the belief that everyone is your equal, and inspired us to lead lives defined by honor and integrity.

I have also seen the way that my wife, First Lady Jill Biden, has put her whole heart into being a wonderful mother and grandmother. She brings our family so much joy and is the source of so many of our best memories. She has also guided our family forward through the most difficult times, always finding the strength to hold us together. Every day, she shares her heart with the students she teaches full time and so many others who find inspiration in her leadership, kindness, and wisdom.

Across the country, mothers are raising their children, caring for their families, and making history. Mothers are leaders in every field — from Main Street to Wall Street, they are driving innovation and strengthening our economy. They are the health care heroes, service members, and public servants, who sacrifice so much for all of us. They are the artists, journalists, engineers, and scientists creating new possibilities. They serve at the highest levels of my Administration, working hard to open the doors of opportunity wider for the next generation.

Moms do so much for all of us, and my Administration has their backs. During the pandemic, I signed the American Rescue Plan, which helped keep the doors open for 225,000 child care providers so families could go to work while their children were cared for. At the same time, we expanded the Child Tax Credit, giving moms and families some breathing room — which helped slash child poverty rates in half during my first year in office. My Administration is also making sure that the good-paying jobs from our once-in-a-generation investments in infrastructure and clean energy go to women, who have been underrepresented in these sectors for too long. I also signed legislation to ensure employers make reasonable accommodations for pregnant and nursing mothers, who deserve to have job security and common-sense workplace protections — such as breaks to drink water, eat, rest, or use the restroom. These protections help ensure that pregnant workers and new moms do not have to choose between their job and their health.

My Administration is working to make sure that mothers have access to the health care they need. With the leadership of Vice President Kamala Harris, we released a Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, which outlines actions the Federal Government will take to combat maternal mortality and improve maternal health. Further, the American Rescue Plan also gave States the option to provide a full year of postpartum coverage to women on Medicaid, increasing it from just 60 days previously. Now, 46 States, Washington, D.C., and the United States Virgin Islands provide a full year of this critical care.

This Mother’s Day, may we all show gratitude to our mothers, who are our rocks, believing in us so that we may believe in ourselves. May we pray for those who have lost their mothers and miss their comfort each day and for the mothers who have lost a child — a piece of their soul. May we wholeheartedly support the countless mothers across the country who work tirelessly to make the American Dream real for their children and families.

The Congress, by joint resolution approved May 8, 1914 (38 Stat. 770), has designated the second Sunday in May each year as “Mother’s Day” and requested the President to call for its appropriate observance.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 12, 2024, as Mother’s Day. I urge all Americans to express their love, respect, and gratitude to mothers everywhere. I call upon all citizens to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

ATTACHMENT TWO – FROM NEWSWEEK

DONALD TRUMP QUESTIONED ON HIS ABORTION STANCE

By Rachel Dobkin Published May 12, 2024 at 4:33 PM EDTn

Updated May 12, 2024 at 5:17 PM EDT

President Joe Biden's campaign dropped a brutal Mother's Day ad on Sunday attacking Donald Trump's past and proposed policies regarding mothers and women.

It's six months until the presidential election and Biden has ramped up insults about his political rival Trump, who has relentlessly attacked Biden since his 2020 campaign. With Biden as the Democratic incumbent and Trump the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, November is looking like a heated rematch between the two. One voting block that the Biden campaign is focusing on is women following abortion bans that states have enacted after the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court in 2022.

On Sunday, Biden's campaign released an ad that started off tranquil with scenes of mothers with their children and the words, "Happy Mother's Day" written on the bottom.

Then, the screen goes black with only the words, "But not from Donald Trump."

Trump/Biden

Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 10 in New York City. Inset, President Joe Biden speaks on May 2 in Washington, D.C. Biden's campaign dropped a brutal... \

A clip of Trump talking about his administration's migrant family separation policy played next: "When you say to a family, that if you come we're gonna break you.

Fox News host calls out Marjorie Taylor Greene for causing "disruption"

Republicans grilled on Ronald Reagan leveraging military aid to Israel

Fox News host confronts GOP senator on going after Judge Merchan's family

Republican confronted on Donald Trump's "antisemitic trope"

ATTACHMENT THREE – FROM FOX NEWS

TRUMP TEAM FIRES BACK AT BIDEN CAMPAIGN'S MOTHER'S DAY VIDEO: 'SAD, MISERABLE, COWARDLY EXISTENCE'

The Biden campaign claimed in a Mother's Day video, 'Daughters have fewer rights than their mothers or grandmothers did because of Donald Trump'

Stepheny Price Fox News Published May 12, 2024 3:39pm EDT

The Biden campaign is using Mother's Day to cirticize former President Donald Trump in a new campaign video, urging Americans to "Stop Trump."

"Happy Mother's Day. At the Biden campaign, we are asking Americans to do the moms in their lives a favor. Stop Trump," the Biden campaign wrote in a press release.

In the video, the Biden campaign claims that "On Mother’s Day, a reminder: Donald Trump stands only for himself – and not mothers across America and their families."

"The stakes of this election are high for all Americans, but especially moms across our country who will suffer under a second Trump term," the video states.

"Under Trump, the government will be allowed to monitor their pregnancies, and rip their families apart. Meanwhile President Biden is fighting to bring back his historic expanded Child Tax Credit to give families a little extra breathing room, and ensure paid leave for all Americans," the message from the Biden campaign continued.

The Biden campaign made five points, explaining why voters need to vote for him in the upcoming election over Trump.

His reasoning included blaming Trump for families being denied access to fertility treatments, allowing states to monitor women's pregnancies, claiming that Trump believes that women who have an abortion should face "some form of punishment," and that Trump "proudly separated mothers from their children."

Biden's other points claimed that Trump would devastate maternal health and hurt women across the country by working tirelessly to sabotage and repeal the Affordable Care Act. His final point claimed that Trump's economic plan would be an "inflation bomb" which would raise costs for mothers' and families.

"Families depend on moms – and moms deserve a President they can depend on to protect their rights, work to lower their costs, and fight for them. Donald Trump wasn’t and isn’t that President, but Joe Biden is," Biden's campaign wrote.

WHITE HOUSE SHOULD BE 'CONCERNED' AS TRUMP RALLIES AS MANY AS 100K IN DEEP-BLUE NEW JERSEY: 'EXTRAORDINARY'

In response to the new campaign video, Trump's team fired back at the president, calling his video a disgusting move to make, especially on Mother's Day.

"What a sad, miserable, cowardly existence Crooked Joe Biden and his campaign must have to make such a disgusting ad on such a joyous day. Their lives are obviously filled with anger, hate, and resentment because they clearly suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome," Trump's team told Fox News Digital.

"President Trump continues to live rent-free in their pea-sized brains, even on Mother's Day."

ATTACHMENT FOUR – FROM LEGIT.NG

See...

https://www.legit.ng/ask-legit/biographies/1589059-caden-crains-biography-meet-glendon-crain-stormy-daniels-daughter/

ATTACHMENT FIVE – FROM CBS NEWS

MOTHER'S DAY TRADITIONS DIFFER ACROSS THE WORLD — SEE HOW OTHER FAMILIES CELEBRATE

It wouldn't be Mother's Day in the United States without the classic traditions Americans know best: large bouquets of roses and carnations, homemade cards, special outings, and accolades for moms near and far.

When the holiday was first started in 1907 by Anna Jarvis to honor mothers, the day's event was at a Methodist church in West Virginia, where white carnations were reportedly distributed to those in attendance. President Woodrow Wilson in 1914 declared the second Sunday of May a national holiday.

Jarvis fiercely advocated for a day dedicated to mothers and then famously regretted how commercialized it became. In the years since, the holiday has become even more commercialized, with consumers spending a record $33.5 billion.

Over the years, other countries have adopted Mother's Day, each offering its own unique take — some perhaps closer to the celebrations Jarvis envisioned. Some countries celebrate on different dates, and others in May. Mexico celebrates on May 10, Thailand on August 12, Peru the second Sunday of May, and France typically the last Sunday in May, while the United Kingdom celebrates on the last Sunday of Lent, which varies each year.

There's everything from mariachi serenades to visits to the local church to traditional meals made to honor the family matriarch. No matter how the festivities may look, the intention is the same: to share an appreciation for the women at the center of the family.

Here's a sampling of some of the Mother's Day traditions in other places around the globe.

Mexico

Día de Las Madres is celebrated each year on May 10, and festivities do not disappoint. Mexicans usually have the day off, so when the holiday falls on a weekday, they're able to stay home and spend the day with their mom.

"The mother here is a very important figure," Lola Barba, a mother of two who grew up in Mexico City, told CBS News. "The country stops when it's Mother's Day here."

The week leading up to Mother's Day, elementary schools organize festivals with dances, plays, and songs. Moms are invited to watch and enjoy the treats, said Barba. Families typically gather on the day for large meals with traditional menu items including mole, pozole, and enchiladas, while others opt to take their moms out to a local restaurant. But nothing beats the tradition of hiring mariachi bands or trios to serenade moms — sometimes early enough in the morning to wake them up!

Mexican Mother's Day came about around the same time as the U.S. holiday, just over a century ago. Mexico later erected a monument to mothers called the Monumento a la Madre.

While she's now based in Los Angeles, Barba still tends to celebrate Mother's Day on the 10th. "I usually celebrate on the day, and sometimes I even celebrate twice!" she said.

Peru

Peruvians mark Mother's Day, known as "Feliz Dia Mama," by getting the whole household together, whether at a restaurant, or a relative's house.

"In my family, we usually get together around lunchtime at someone's house and spend the next several hours together, enjoying each other's company and strengthening our family ties," Laura Gonzales, 77, a mom from Lima, Peru told CBS News.

Families are also known to congregate at cemeteries to pay respect to deceased mothers, aunts, and grandmothers – particularly those who live in the provinces outside of the capital of Lima, said Gonzales. Many bring food, drinks, and flowers to lay down on the graves. Vendors have caught on and now sell flowers, balloons, and signs outside the cemeteries. What might seem like a somber tradition is actually regarded as a joyful celebration among Peruvian families.

Gonzales said that in the past, children would typically wear a red rose if their mother was alive, or a white one if they had passed. The tradition has faded over time, but red roses are still one of the most popular flower choices for mothers.

United Kingdom

In the U.K., Mother's Day goes by a different name: "Mothering Sunday," which honors the connection to the church in addition to mothers. During the Middle Ages, people who had moved away would come back each year on the fourth Sunday of Lent to visit their "Mother" church — typically where they were baptized. This was an opportunity to reconnect after long periods spent apart. Today, Mothering Sunday is still celebrated on the last Sunday of Lent, the date of which varies each year.

The holiday's connection to religion is less obvious nowadays, said Susan Morgan, a 65-year-old mom of three who lives in Suffolk, England. As a little girl, she recalls visiting family for afternoon tea and bringing them flowers and a homemade card.

"It felt like an important day to me, slightly religious, and about going with my mum to show respect to her mother and her mother's mother," Morgan told CBS News.

Thailand

In Thailand, Mother's Day is a holiday that the entire country joins in on — it's a public holiday and people are given the day off. Originally celebrated on April 15, the holiday was moved to August 12 in 1976 to coincide with the birthday of Queen Sirikit, a member of the Thai royal family.

With double the reason to celebrate, there's plenty of fanfare. Leading up to the 12th, buildings across the country are adorned with images of the queen, along with colorful flags, flowers, and lights. In Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, fireworks can be seen lighting up the sky during an annual ceremony for the queen.

Children offer their moms white jasmine flowers, which are in high demand in and around the holiday. "It is not just a holiday; it is the day that we appreciate mothers and motherhood and reflect how grateful we are," said Ploy Khunisorn, who lived in Thailand for 22 years but is currently living in Boston.

Last year, the U.S. Embassy in Thailand extended warm wishes to the queen and all Thai mothers.

France

Celebrations look different depending on the family, but in France, it's typical to offer moms small gifts and flower bouquets, like the famed Lily of the Valley.

Mother's Day typically takes place on the last Sunday of May.

Spending quality time with loved ones is also an important part of how the French mark the day, Anne-Sophie Bellemin, a French mother of two who lives in the town of Novalaise, told CBS News,

Bottom of Form

Bellemin said her husband has historically gone to le marché, the market, the morning of Mother's Day to buy a colorful bouquet replete with roses, daisies and other flowers. "It was a tradition for the kids to give me the bouquet my husband had bought," she said.

ATTACHMENT SIX – FROM the MOSCOW TIMES

Putin Says Childbirth Is Women’s ‘Greatest Gift’ and ‘Purpose’ in Women’s Day Message

March 8, 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed motherhood as “an amazing purpose for a woman” in his International Women’s Day message aired Friday.

“You, dear women, are able to transform the world thanks to your beauty, wisdom and generous hearts, but, most importantly, thanks to the greatest gift that nature has given you — childbirth,” Putin said in a video address recorded at his official residence outside Moscow.

“The most important thing for every woman — no matter what career she chooses and what she is able to achieve in it — is family … [and] taking tireless care of children,” he added.

The statement marks a doubling down on Putin's efforts to encourage Russian women to have more children amid flagging birthrates and the loss of tens of thousands of men in the war in Ukraine.

In the three-minute speech, Putin also devoted special attention to Russian women serving on the frontlines in Ukraine and the wives of Russian soldiers who “inspire them with love, happiness and support.”

“You are proving again and again that a woman's heart has an irresistible strength. You are an example of strength, of certainty that the good and the truth are on our side,” said the president.

Putin noted that Russia has declared 2024 “the year of a family” and labeled childbirth as the essential reason for creating a family, while vowing to increase government support for “young mothers.”

“Attentive, respectful attitude towards a woman, a mother is an essential part of our [Russian] traditions,” said Putin.

ATTACHMENT SEVEN – FROM MORNINGSTAR

BEIJING, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on multiple occasions highlighted the Chinese tradition of strong family ties, especially mother's caring, and its importance to people's wellbeing and the national development.
Ahead of the Mother's Day that falls on May 12 this year, China Media Group (CMG) on Saturday published stories recounting remarks and quotes by the Chinese president on motherhood and family affection, to honor traditional virtues of the Chinese nation.
When delivering his Spring Festival greetings in 2015, Xi quoted the poem "Song of the Parting Son" by Meng Jiao in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to explain how the tradition of strong family ties remains unchanged throughout history.
"From the threads a mother's hand weaves, a gown for parting son is made. Sown stitch by stitch before he leaves, for fear his return be delayed," Xi quoted.
"The Chinese nation has always valued family and cherished familial bonds since ancient times," he said.
In 2016, Xi called for efforts to enhance virtue and civility in Chinese families so as to create an important foundation for national development, progress and social harmony at a conference to honor model families across China.
He said a kind mother bringing up children dutiful to their family is one of the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation.
"Family not only provides a place for the physical body to reside, it is also where people's hearts lie. A country and a nation can do well only when its families do well," said Xi.
The Chinese president has always valued the family. At the Spring Festival gathering in 2017, Xi's words on family reunion struck the heartfelt chords of hundreds of millions of people.
"People may devote themselves to work, sacrificing sleep and meals, they may rush to different places to make a living. However, they should not forget about genuine human connections, nor should they allow distance to sever those connections. In the midst of daily busyness, one should not forget about genuine human connections. In the relentless pursuit day and night, one should not overlook such connections," he said.
Growing up in a good family atmosphere, Xi, who comes from the people, never forgets the importance of happiness which tens of millions of families strive for, as he constantly highlights family, family education and family tradition.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK2buERrf_I

ATTACHMENT EIGHT – FROM THE WASHINGTON POST

OPINION

THE MOTHERS OF UKRAINE NEED YOU

Every Ukrainian mom today is a part of a great wall holding off Russian aggression against the world.

By Olena Zelenska

May 11, 2024 at 12:51 p.m. EDT

Olena Zelenska is the first lady of Ukraine.

Six-year-old Renat and 10-year-old Varvara were living in Mariupol — the city wiped from the face of the Earth by Russian bombing — when they were sent to an orphanage in Russia. They were torn from their mother, who had been taken prisoner.

Desperate, Renat and Varvara’s grandmother knocked on every door, searched every inch of land to find her missing loved ones. While their mother was eventually brought back to Ukraine via a prisoner swap, it took nine months and the assistance of the Ukrainian authorities for the grandmother to bring back her grandchildren. She even crossed enemy lines to rescue them.

What did their mom feel during those months? What did the children feel, as the grandmother persevered to reunite the family?

This is the story of women of Ukraine right now. More than 19,000 of our children are being held captive in Russia. Their families are tormented by uncertainty.

Since the beginning of Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion, the mothers of Ukraine have — as caregivers, first responders, medics, soldiers and breadwinners — fought for the survival of their families and their country. They are part of a fight for the survival of the democratic world order.

It is a fitting story to tell on Mother’s Day, when there is an important message I am ready to scream out loud: We need the help of the whole world to set these children free. One Ukrainian mother may be powerless, but thousands and millions of us standing together can succeed.

Some mothers in Ukraine have turned their pain into action. When Natalya Makovetska’s son was killed on the front line, she joined the army herself. There are more than 60,000 women in the Ukrainian army, even though enlisting is voluntary for women.

Other mothers are widening their families to protect children who have lost their own parents and homes. Tetiana Yurychko has fostered 10 children, including 3-year-old Bohdan. It is not easy being a foster mother during a time of war. It’s not easy to take so many children to the bomb shelter every time the air-raid sirens wail.

ATTACHMENT NINE – FROM AA.COM (TURKEY)

On Mother's Day, Gazan mothers grieve for children lost to war

Nearly 10,000 women killed, 19,000 others injured in Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7

Bekir Aydogan 12.05.2024 - Update : 12.05.2024

On Mother's Day, Gazan mothers grieve for children lost to warNahil al-Shembari, one of the Palestinian mothers, carries her child as she struggles every day to sustain her family in tents without food, clean water and basic needs after they fled the Israeli attacks and took refuge in Rafah, Gaza on May 10, 2024.

Mothers in Gaza are struggling to survive amid relentless Israeli attacks.

As many as 10,000 women were killed in the Gaza Strip where Israel has indiscriminately dropped bombs since Oct. 7, 2023.

Israeli forces have deliberately targeted civilian areas, including schools, hospitals, mosques, and churches, where civilians seek refuge.

Since October, over 35,000 Palestinians, predominantly children and women, were killed and over 78,700 others were injured.

As the world celebrates Mother's Day, Gazan mothers face immense hardship and profound adversity as the war enters the seventh month.

37 children orphaned every day

According to a report by the UN agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) on May 3, an average of 37 children lose their mothers every day in the Gaza Strip.

The agency said that “the war in Gaza continues to be a war on women.”

“Over 10,000 women have been killed and 19,000 injured,” it added.

It stressed that “conditions are appalling,” noting that “over 155,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women faced severely limited access to water and sanitary items.”

No firewood

In the absence of gas, mothers scavenge for garbage to light a fire to cook.

Sabreen Abu Awda told Anadolu that she scavenges for garbage and waste daily to prepare meals, diligently searching for plastic, nylon, cardboard, and any combustible materials.

“We left our homes and took shelter in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip as a result of the attacks in the north,” said Awda.

“There is an increase in respiratory diseases due to burning plastics that are harmful to health,” she added.

Hana Abu Jabal, a mother of eight, lives in a tent in Rafah.

“We cannot find water, food and clothing,” said Jabal.

Manal al-Madhoun told Anadolu that she lost her eldest daughter and first grandchild in an Israeli attack targeting their tent in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

“They took a piece of my heart. The pain of being away from them shatters my heart,” said Madhoun.

Houria, a Palestinian mother who became widowed during the Israeli attacks on the Strip, now assumes the roles of both mother and father to her nine children.

She resides in a tent she erected in Rafah after being displaced.

Houria said that she lacks any source of income and struggles to meet basic necessities such as water and cooking gas in the tent.

To prepare food for her children, she resorts to burning scraps of paper or wood she gathers, Houria said.

Grieving mother’s sole keepsake

Rania Abu Anza grieves the loss of her twin babies, born after 11 years of anticipation, anguish, hope and prayers.

In March, Anza lost her husband and their twin babies, Naim and Wisam, when their home in Gaza was targeted by the Israeli army.

The only keepsake the mourning mother salvaged from the rubble was their Eid clothes. She had hoped to adorn her children in these clothes for Eid al-Fitr, but they did not live to celebrate the day.

‘Keep them warm’

The relentless and indiscriminate Israeli assaults on Gaza expose the heart-wrenching experiences of Palestinian mothers grappling with the loss of their children.

In a video posted on social media, a Palestinian mother, mourning her children in the Al-Aqsa Hospital in March pleaded: "Please cover them with a blanket, keep them warm, please.”

The Palestinian mother, who shielded her children from the cold after they were killed in the Israeli attack, said: "I wish I were dead too, so I could go to the grave with them.”

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi

ATTACHMENT TEN – FROM AL JAZEERA

ALAA’S SAD MOTHER’S DAY AFTER ISRAEL’S WAR ON GAZA KILLED HER CHILDREN

A mother and poet finds herself lost for words to process the loss of her four children this Mother’s Day.

By Ruwaida Amer Published On 21 Mar 202421 Mar 2024

Rafah, Gaza – It is nearly impossible to describe the feelings of a mother in the Gaza Strip on Mother’s Day.

A mother who has borne the pain of separation from her children, wept at the sight of them slipping into malnutrition and stayed up all night to try to reassure them that they were “safe” as Israel’s planes continued to drop bombs overhead.

More than half a million Palestinians flee as Israel escalates Gaza attacks

list 2 of 4

Israeli’s tearful plea decrying Gaza aid convoy attacks

list 3 of 4

Not even the US government knows the US government line on Rafah

list 4 of 4

Israeli flag-raising in major Canadian cities spurs outrage amid Gaza war

end of list

Or a mother who has lost her children in Israel’s war on Gaza.

‘Mama, try to get us out’

Alaa el-Qatrawi, 33, sits quietly, present in body but it is obvious that her mind is elsewhere. A few months ago, all four of her children were killed.

The PhD holder in Arabic studies is separated from her husband of nearly 10 years, Musa Qandil, and had been able to see the children only some of the time during the war.

Looking around with bloodshot eyes, she recites her children’s names: “Yamen, eight years old. The twins Orchid and Kanan, six years old. And Carmel, three years old.”

In early December, when the children were with their father, who took them to Khan Younis for their safety, Alaa heard that Israeli tanks were getting closer to the house where they were staying. One day, Israeli forces stormed the house and attacked her ex-husband and his brothers. They said the soldiers beat them severely and stole money, mobile phones and gold.

A university-age cousin managed to hide her phone, and on December 13, the children used it to contact Alaa, terrified of the fighting raging around them. “Mama, try to get us out of here,” she remembers them begging.

But Alaa says she was not able to get help from two of the international humanitarian organisations in Gaza, neither of which could get into the area where the house was.

“I would fantasise that I could make myself invisible and go get them out. I didn’t know what to do. … They were asking me for help, but I couldn’t do anything. When I remember their voices, I wish I could die or that this was a dream I could wake up from,” she weeps.

She did not hear from them or find out what happened until, a month later, her brother-in-law was able to get to the house only to find it destroyed and the smell of decomposing bodies emanating from it.

Yamen, Orchid, Kanan and Carmel

While speaking to Al Jazeera about Mother’s Day, Alaa talks about her children in the present tense.

“My eldest, when he was in first grade, wrote me a beautiful letter with the words ‘My beloved mother’. It’s still with me, and I will never forget it.

“Yamen just turned eight. He and I barely survived his birth. I was rushed for an emergency C-section, and we found out later that the doctors expected only one of us to make it.

“Every year on his birthday, I write him a card, telling him of the miracle of his birth. He’s my miracle. He’s so beautiful, blond, and with these wide blue eyes, he looks like my younger brother and is the kindest out of his siblings,” she says, starting to smile.

“Kenan and Orchid had only been in school for one month, in first grade, when the war began. But they’re so smart and funny. Kenan loves fruit, and sometimes I would put some next to him when he sleeps so he has a snack on hand whenever he wakes up.

“They’re beautiful. Kenan is a little taller than Orchid, who has this golden skin and long, black hair. I love how they compete with each other in everything.

“The year before, when they were in kindergarten, they brought me flowers for Mother’s Day, and Orchid gave me chocolates. ‘Mama, I bought you chocolate because I know you like it with coffee,’ she said. She had saved up. I’m sure she would have grown up to be a doctor,” Alaa seemed to startle herself by referring to her daughter in the past tense.

“Carmel, she’s from the heavens and loves masbahas [prayer beads] like I do. We were out once with a friend of mine who had a masbaha that looked like mine, and Carmel took it, thinking it was mine,” Alaa says, smiling wider as tears roll out of the corners of her eyes.

“Everything Carmel is is beautiful. But she’s tough too, you know. She can get her older siblings to do what she wants.”

‘What can a grieving mother say?’

Alaa, who is also a poet, is a teacher in Gaza and had been trying to put together a plan to get her children out of Gaza and move them to Dubai for a better future.

“I had just been in the UAE before the war, working on the process. I bought a princess dress for Orchid and toys for the other kids. The toys are unused and the dress practically unworn because it’s more of a summer dress, and now summer will come and Orchid isn’t here to wear the dress.”

She stops to cry.

“Orchid was so proud of me because I’m a poet. She used to tell me she wanted to be a poet and go on TV.

She truly was an orchid. I chose a poetic name for her, and she grew into it.”

Despite having used words to express herself for much of her life, Alaa finds it nearly impossible to speak about her children and losing them.

“What can a grieving mother say about her children?” she asks. “I used to bring it out in writing, … a poem or some prose. Since the beginning of this war, I’ve not written. I’m in shock, feeling we’re alone in this war.

“In the 2014 war, I wrote a book called Letters Under War and daily war diaries, but this time, no. I don’t think anyone cares about it.

“I don’t want to talk to people. I’m content with prayer and talking to God to tell Him what I need, for He is the all-knowing and all-seeing of what is hidden and the great calamity that befell Gaza.

“Sometimes you wish that the war would stop for a minute, so you can get a hug from a child you love.”

ATTACHMENT ELEVEN – FROM THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

‘BRING HOME THE DEAD AND THE LIVING’: HOSTAGES’ FAMILIES RALLY AHEAD OF MEMORIAL DAY

Families of captives declared dead in Gaza speak in Tel Aviv, alongside French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy; anti-government protests urging elections to be held nationwide

By TOI STAFF 11 May 2024, 1:36 pm

Demonstrators protest calling for the release of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip outside the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, May 6, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Ahead of Israel’s Memorial Day, the families of hostages held in Gaza rallied to demand a deal on Saturday night in Tel Aviv, with a focus on the 38 captives who have been declared dead.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the organizers of the rally, said the demonstration would mourn the memory of the hostages who have been killed and their bodies are being held by Hamas.

Israel is readying to mark Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and those killed in terror attacks, starting Sunday evening.

According to figures released by authorities on Thursday, 1594 soldiers and civilians have been killed in combat or by terror since Israel’s last Memorial Day, marking the deadliest year for the country’s security forces and civilians in five decades.

Speakers included: Hagit and Ruby Chen, the parents of Itay Chen, whose body is held in Gaza after he was killed during Hamas’s October 7 onslaught; Richelle Tzarfati, the mother of Ofir Tzarfati, whose body was recovered from Gaza in December; Maya Ahimas, sister of hostage Tomer Ahimas, who was killed fighting terrorists on October 7 and his body taken to Gaza; and French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy.

The rally got underway at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square at 8 p.m.

Ahead of the rally, a ceremony was held to inaugurate artist Michal Rovner’s Cypress Avenue installation in honor of the hostages who were killed, with the participation of Yael Adar, the mother of Tamir Adar, who was killed on October 7 and whose body was taken to Gaza; Nirit Aloni, the mother of Noam, whose partner was murdered hostage Inbar Haiman; and Tami Baruch, the mother of hostage Sahar Baruch, who was killed during failed rescue attempt by the Israel Defense Forces.

The rallies come as hopes fade for a hostage and truce deal between Israel and Hamas.

On Monday, the terror group claimed to have accepted an agreement with Israel, though it later emerged that the proposal it said had come from Egyptian and Qatari mediators included several elements fundamentally different from those Israel had agreed to.

Jerusalem swiftly rejected the proposal for falling short of its “vital demands,” but okayed dispatching a working-level delegation to the indirect talks in Cairo. After gaps could not be closed, the Israeli and Hamas teams departed Egypt on Friday.

Talks have continued for months without a decisive breakthrough. Israel has said it is determined to eliminate Hamas, while Hamas says it wants a permanent ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The Biden administration has said Hamas is the only party standing in the way of a deal.

Anti-government protests

Amid an increasing convergence between the protests of the hostages’ families and the mass anti-government demonstrations that were a weekly event in the months before October 7, with some of the families accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of blocking a deal for political reasons, a separate demonstration calling for early elections was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv.

Organizers called on participants to join with the hostages’ families to rally at the nearby entrance to the Defense Ministry at the conclusion of the anti-government protest.

A poster of Noa Argamani is taped to one of the empty chairs for hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip as relatives and their supporters gather together to mark the start of Shabbat, outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

A protest calling for elections will also be held outside the President’s House in Jerusalem.

Participants were set to gather at 8:45 p.m. in Paris Square, before marching to the President’s House at 9:45 p.m.

In a nod to the traditional ceremony honoring outstanding citizens at the start of Independence Day, set to begin with the conclusion of Memorial Day on Monday evening, the Jerusalem rally will “honor the citizens who were revealed in all their glory during the war, in the face of the lack of the country’s leadership,” organizers said.

Speakers were to include government critic Noam Tibon, a retired IDF general who mounted a mission to rescue his son, his wife and their two young children from their home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz.

Thousands were expected to call for elections in rallies at other locations across the country, organizers said.

Anti-government protesters calling for elections and a deal to release hostages held by Hamas hold placards and wave national flags in Tel Aviv on April 27, 2024. (Jack Guez/AFP)

Some families of hostages, frustrated that after nearly seven months of war their loved ones are still in captivity, have turned against the government, speaking out publicly against the country’s leaders.

The government’s popularity has plummeted since the beginning of the war, leading to growing calls for elections. It has faced blame over its failure to prevent the October 7 massacre, while some have charged it has fumbled when dealing with key matters relating to the conflict.

Polls consistently show that were elections to be held, anti-Netanyahu parties would win a clear majority, with war cabinet Minister Benny Gantz’s National Unity, the largest party.

A Channel 12 survey last week showed that 58 percent of voters asked think Netanyahu should resign.

The war began when Palestinian terror group Hamas led a devastating cross-border attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people. The thousands of attackers who burst through the border with the Gaza Strip also abducted 252 people who were taken as hostages into the Palestinian enclave.

Israel responded with a military offensive to topple the Hamas regime in Gaza, destroy the terror group and free the hostages.

ATTACHMENT TWELVE – FROM THE JERUSALEM POST

‘THERE IS SO MUCH SUFFERING ON BOTH SIDES’, SAYS MOTHER OF HOSTAGE HERSH GOLDBERG-POLIN

Mother of American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg Polin urged the US for further involvement in hostage negotiations. She also spoke about the suffering on both sides of the conflict.

By MAARIVMAY 14, 2024 01:05

Rachel Goldberg, the U.S.-Israeli mother of Hersh Goldberg Polin, who was taken hostage by militants of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas from the Gaza Strip during the October 7 attack on a music festival in south Israel, addresses the media on the sidelines of an event commemorating the 75th An(photo credit: DENIS BALIBOUSE/REUTERS)

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the mother of the hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, urged the US to show a more active involvement in the hostage negotiations in a Fox News interview on Sunday.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the mother of the hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, has become one of the most recognizable faces in the United States amidst the hostage crisis.

Her son Hersh, 23, was born in California and moved to Israel, where he was kidnapped from a Nova Music Festival.

On Sunday she interviewed at the American Fox News network, calling on the United States to show more active involvement in negotiations.

Regarding the negotiations, she said, "I think we need to be creative and find a way to move forward from the crisis, for both sides to stop and think about a way forward. If there is a pause in fighting, it will give people time to digest and rethink with reason." She added: "I don't think enough Americans are aware that there are American citizens held hostage by Hamas.”

"There is an attempt to present the hostages as a monolith, a homogeneous group, but that's not the case. Barely hearing about Arab hostages, and there were also hostages from Thailand, Nepal, and Christian Africans."

In the end, Goldberg-Polin delivered a message saying, "There is so much suffering on both sides, there is no competition here. There are 132 innocent civilians taken hostage from Israel on October 7 suffering in captivity, and there are hundreds of thousands of uninvolved Gazan civilians suffering greatly," she added. "Many people struggle to recognize both of these parallel truths."

Last month Hamas released a video of Hersh, an American-Israeli citizen, marking the first time an American citizen was featured in such a video. His parents approved the release of the video to the Israeli media, and since then, several families have followed suit, seeking to publish portions of these signs of life released since the beginning of the war.

In the video that was released, Hersh is seen after his left hand was amputated, severely injured from gunfire during his kidnapping. "I went out to hang out with my friends, and instead, I found myself fighting for my life, with severe injuries all over my body, after trying to protect myself and other frightened civilians, when there was no one to protect us that day," he said in the video distributed by the terror organization.

Rachel and John, the parents of the hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, responded to the video released by Hamas saying, "We saw the video, and we were relieved to see him alive, while we still worry about his health and the well-being of the other hostages. We ask all intermediaries and parties involved in negotiations to make a courageous decision that will allow us to reunite with our loved one. Hersh, if you're listening, we heard your voice for the first time in 200 days. We love you, stay strong."

ATTACHMENT THIRTEEN – FROM FEMININE PERSPECTIVE MAGAZINE

HAPPY BLOODY MOTHER’S DAY, BIDEN, NETANYAHU.

U.S. bombs penetrate residential buildings some 9 floors bringing the building down on its occupants during daytime hours when women and little kids are home.

By Michael John O’Brien (!) May 12, 2024

Britain, America and Israel are now global pariahs having set a precedent pattern for the slaughter of women and children where there is disagreement between male leaders.

UN experts have condemned the continued and systematic onslaught of violence committed against women and children Palestinians in Gaza. Most victims are women and children over the past seven months+.

“We are [also] horrified at details emerging from mass graves recently unearthed in the Gaza Strip. Over 390 bodies have been discovered at Nasser and Al Shifa hospitals, including of women and children, with many reportedly showing signs of torture and summary executions, and potential instances of people buried alive,” the experts said.

They noted that women, girls and children overall are among those most exposed to danger in this conflict, and that as of 29 April 2024, of 34,488 Palestinians killed in Gaza, 14,500 have been children and 9,500 women as of March 2024. (Onslaught of violence against women and children in Gaza unacceptable: UN experts | OHCHR)

Another 77,643 have reportedly been injured, of which 75% are estimated to be female.

The certainty of casualties, potentially reaching up to 100,000 women and children, is alarming, yet humanitarians are uncertain about the number of Palestinians buried beneath the rubble caused by American bombs that collapse apartment buildings, trapping all inside.

Visiting these structures with dogs while studying missing person reports we know there are thousands of unreported dead buried deep by America’s 2,000-pound deep penetration bombs that are deliberately focused on mass killing women and kids as a recipe for ethnic cleansing.

Palestinian people must be set free from American enforced Israeli apartheid over the occupied territories of the Palestinians. American colonization of Israel must end too.

Exploitative USA imperialism is arguably what is killing tens of thousands of women and children in Gaza, the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. America’s subordinated Israeli colony is worse.

Those 2,000-pound BLU-109 bombs demolish civilian residential buildings where young mothers and small children live—in the daytime.

Misuse of these weapons by American and Israeli politicians to kill civilians by imploding residential apartment buildings inwards on the young women and small children living within their apartments is one of the most serious crimes against humanity because it comprises an immoral genocide. Happy bloody mother’s day, Biden, Netanyahu.

Genocide:

§ (a) killing members of the ethnic group;

§ (b) causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the ethnic group;

§ (c) deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

§ (d) imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; or

§ (e) forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

An example of genocide: The history of the United States is a history of settler colonialism and genocides.

ATTACHMENT FOURTEEN – FROM ABC NEWS

US FALLS SIGNIFICANTLY IN GLOBAL RANKING FOR GENDER EQUALITY: REPORT

The U.S. fell to 43rd out of 146 countries studied, an annual report found.

ByMax Zahn June 20, 2023, 6:54 PM

The U.S. ranking for gender equality worldwide fell significantly over the past year due to a widening gap in political empowerment and health outcomes between men and women, according to a study released on Tuesday by the World Economic Forum.

The report, which assesses equity between men and women on indexes ranging from economic participation to physical well-being, ranked the U.S. 43rd out of 146 countries studied, ranking directly beneath Colombia and above Luxembourg. Last year, the U.S. ranked 27th.

The World Economic Forum convenes an annual meeting of the global elite in Davos, Switzerland, every January.

The falloff in the U.S. ranking from last year is largely due to a widening gap between men and women in the realm of political empowerment, which measures factors such as the share of women who hold positions in the federal legislature and as heads of state, the study found.

To be sure, the report found that the U.S. gender gap has narrowed in some areas, especially those focused on economic outcomes.

The U.S. has closed almost 80% of the gap between men and women on an index that measures economic opportunity and participation, recovering to a level last seen in 2018, the report said.

On income parity, the U.S. has closed about 67% of the gap between men and women, which continues a trend of gradual improvement over the past several years, the study showed.

MORE: What's behind rise of women in US manufacturing amid industry revival?

Not a single country has completely reached parity between men and women on the study's overall gender gap index.

Iceland, the report's top-ranked country for 14 consecutive years, has closed roughly 91% of the divide between men and women on the overall gender gap index.

The group of top-performing countries also featured Norway, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand.

The lowest-ranked countries were Afghanistan, Chad, Algeria, Pakistan and Iran.

ATTACHMENT FIFTEEN – FROM U.S. NEWS

U.S. News Best Countries

2023 Rankings

The overall ranking of Best Countries measure global performance on a variety of metrics. Switzerland is the best country in the world for 2023.

· Rankings

· Economy

· Geography

· Population

· Sort

87 Countries

Switzerland

#1 in Best Countries Overall

Switzerland, officially called the Swiss Confederation, is a small country in Central Europe made up of 16,000 square miles of glacier-carved Alps, lakes and valleys. It is one of the world’s wealthiest countries, and has been well-known for centuries for its neutrality.

GDP

$808 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$83,598

POPULATION

8.77 million

Canada

#2 in Best Countries Overall

Canada takes up about two-fifths of the North American continent, making it the second-largest country in the world after Russia. The country is sparsely populated, with most of its 35.5 million residents living within 125 miles of the U.S. border. Canada’s expansive wilderness to the north plays a large role in Canadian identity, as does the country’s reputation of welcoming immigrants.

GDP

$2.14 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$58,400

POPULATION

38.9 million

Sweden

#3 in Best Countries Overall

The Kingdom of Sweden, flanked by Norway to the west and the Baltic Sea to the east, expands across much of the Scandinavian Peninsula and is one of the largest countries in the European Union by land mass. Capital city Stockholm was claimed in the 16th century, and border disputes through the Middle Ages established the modern-day nation.

GDP

$586 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$64,578

POPULATION

10.5 million

Australia

#4 in Best Countries Overall

The Commonwealth of Australia occupies the Australian continent. The country also includes some islands, most notably Tasmania. Indigenous people occupied the land for at least 40,000 years before the first British settlements of the 18th century.

GDP

$1.68 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$62,625

POPULATION

26.0 million

United States

#5 in Best Countries Overall

The United States of America is a North American nation that is the world’s most dominant economic and military power. Likewise, its cultural imprint spans the world, led in large part by its popular culture expressed in music, movies and television.

GDP

$25.5 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$76,399

POPULATION

333 million

Japan

#6 in Best Countries Overall

Japan, one of the world’s most literate and technically advanced nations, is an East Asian country made up of four main islands. While most of Japan is covered by mountains and heavily wooded areas, the country’s roughly 126 million people lead a distinctly urban lifestyle. Long culturally influenced by its neighbors, today the country blends its ancient traditions with aspects of Western life.

GDP

$4.23 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$45,573

POPULATION

125 million

Germany

#7 in Best Countries Overall

Germany, the most populous nation in the European Union, possesses one of the largest economies in the world and has seen its role in the international community grow steadily since reunification. The Central European country borders nine nations, and its landscape varies, from the northern plains that reach to the North and Baltic seas to the Bavarian Alps in the south.

GDP

$4.07 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$63,150

POPULATION

84.1 million

New Zealand

#8 in Best Countries Overall

British and Polynesian influences course through picturesque New Zealand, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean southeast of Australia. Early Maori settlers ceded sovereignty to British invaders with the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, and European settlers flooded in. Today, 70 percent of Kiwis, a common term for the people of New Zealand after a native flightless bird, are of European descent. A sense of pride has surged among the Maori, the country’s first settlers who now account for about 14 percent, as homeland grievances become more openly addressed.

GDP

$247 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$51,967

POPULATION

5.12 million

United Kingdom

#9 in Best Countries Overall

The United Kingdom is a highly developed nation that exerts considerable international economic, political, scientific and cultural influence. Located off the northwest corner of Europe, the country includes the island of Great Britain – which contains England, Scotland and Wales – and the northern portion of the island of Ireland. The country’s role on the global stage faces new questions as the nation withdrew from the European Union. , as well as the policies supporting the eurozone.

GDP

$3.07 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$54,603

POPULATION

67.0 million

10.

11.

Netherlands

#10 in Best Countries Overall

Situated along the fringes of Western Europe, the Netherlands is a coastal lowland freckled with windmills characteristic of its development around the water. Three major European rivers - the Rhine, Meuse and Schelde - run through neighbors Germany and Belgium into the nation’s busy ports.

GDP

$991 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$69,577

POPULATION

17.7 million

12.

Norway

#11 in Best Countries Overall

The Kingdom of Norway is the westernmost country in the Scandinavian peninsula, made up mostly of mountainous terrain. Nearly all of its population lives in the south, surrounding the capital, Oslo. Norway’s coastline is made up of thousands of miles of fjords, bays and island shores. The Norwegians developed a maritime culture, and were active throughout the Viking era, establishing settlements in Iceland and Greenland.

GDP

$579 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$114,899

POPULATION

5.46 million

13.

France

#12 in Best Countries Overall

It is difficult to overstate the influence France has on the world, both in the past and today. Located in Western Europe, France is one of the world’s oldest countries, and its reach extends around the globe through science, politics, economics and perhaps above all, culture. Starting in the Middle Ages, France evolved through kingdom, empire and finally, into a republic. It was one of the first nations to champion the rights of the individual.

GDP

$2.78 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$55,493

POPULATION

67.9 million

14.

15.

Denmark

#13 in Best Countries Overall

The Kingdom of Denmark emerged in the 10th century and includes two North Atlantic island nations, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Along with Sweden and Norway, it forms Scandinavia, a cultural region in Northern Europe.

GDP

$395 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$74,005

POPULATION

5.90 million

16.

Finland

#14 in Best Countries Overall

Geography defines the history and culture of Nordic Finland, one of the most northern-reaching countries in the world. Bordered by Scandinavia, Russia, the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia, Finland and its vast stretches of heavily forested open land acts as a northern gate between West and East.

GDP

$281 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$59,027

POPULATION

5.56 million

17.

Italy

#15 in Best Countries Overall

Italy is a south-central European country, whose boot-shaped borders extend into the Mediterranean Sea. The country’s historical cities, world-renowned cuisine and geographic beauty make it a popular destination for more than 40 million tourists each year. The nation is home to Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest and most active volcano, and houses two countries within its borders – the Vatican and San Marino.

GDP

$2.01 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$51,865

POPULATION

58.9 million

18.

19.

Singapore

#16 in Best Countries Overall

Founded as a British trading colony in the 19th century, Singapore is a bustling metropolis in Southeast Asia and home to one of the world’s busiest ports. The vast majority of its 5.7 million citizens live on the eponymous capital island, and dozens of surrounding islands complete the city state. Gross domestic product per capita is high and unemployment is low, making Singapore one of the wealthiest nations in the world.

GDP

$467 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$127,565

POPULATION

5.64 million

20.

Spain

#17 in Best Countries Overall

A number of independent kingdoms united in 1492 to form the Kingdom of Spain, a cultural patchwork that continues to shape the modern nation’s dynamic identity. Spain comprises much of the Iberian Peninsula, which it shares with Portugal on the southwestern edge of Europe. It also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and two enclaves in North Africa.

GDP

$1.40 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$45,825

POPULATION

47.6 million

21.

Belgium

#18 in Best Countries Overall

The Kingdom of Belgium is a small, highly developed and urbanized country in Western Europe bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France and the North Sea. The nation known for beer, chocolate and castles features Dutch, French and German as official languages.

GDP

$579 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$65,027

POPULATION

11.7 million

22.

23.

United Arab Emirates

#19 in Best Countries Overall

The United Arab Emirates, or UAE, is a federation of seven emirates on the southeast end of the Arabian Peninsula. The country, wedged between between Oman and Saudi Arabia, has rocky desert, wetlands, waterless mountains and coastlines that stretch along the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. The emirates that currently comprise the UAE were known as the Trucial States in the 19th century as a result of a series of agreements with Great Britain. In 1971, six of these states merged to form the UAE; a seventh joined in 1972.

GDP

$508 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$87,729

POPULATION

9.44 million

24.

China

#20 in Best Countries Overall

Home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations, China has been ruled by the Communist Party since 1949, when the nation was established as the People’s Republic of China. The country is the world’s most populous and is considered the second-largest by land mass.

GDP

$18.0 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$21,476

POPULATION

1.41 billion

25.

South Korea

#21 in Best Countries Overall

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a nation in eastern Asia that occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula and has a long history of conflict. Liberated from Japan in 1945 at the end of World War II, South Korea was invaded by communist forces in North Korea several years later. Aid from the United Nations helped end the three-year war and support the south on its path to democracy. A critical divide between the two nations along the center of the peninsula remains.

GDP

$1.67 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$50,070

POPULATION

51.6 million

26.

27.

Austria

#22 in Best Countries Overall

Austria a culturally rich, high-income parliamentary democracy that hosts several key international organizations. Located in the heart of Central Europe, the modern Austrian state was shaped by the two world wars of the 20th century.

GDP

$471 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$67,936

POPULATION

9.04 million

28.

Ireland

#23 in Best Countries Overall

The Republic of Ireland is an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean, separated from Britain on the east by the Irish Sea. Nicknamed the Emerald Isle for its well-watered grasslands, the country is known for its rich cultural traditions, lively pub scene and its struggles for independence. The country comprises five-sixths of the island of Ireland – the remaining sixth is Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom. After a bloody fight for independence and civil war in the early 20th century, Ireland became a republic in 1949.

GDP

$529 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$126,905

POPULATION

5.09 million

29.

Luxembourg

#24 in Best Countries Overall

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a landlocked country in Western Europe with Belgium to the west, France to the south and Germany to the east. The country is one of the smallest in the world, as well as one of the wealthiest. Castles and churches dot its forests and rolling hills.

GDP

$82.3 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$142,214

POPULATION

651 thousand

30.

31.

Portugal

#25 in Best Countries Overall

Jutting into the Atlantic Ocean on the edge of the Iberian Peninsula and flanked by Spain to the east, Portugal is a nation with its gaze turned outward. Its history is steeped in discovery and exploration, beginning with early leaders that, after ousting Celtic and Moorish settlers in the 12th century, focused on building their kingdom beyond continental borders.

GDP

$252 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$41,452

POPULATION

10.4 million

32.

Qatar

#26 in Best Countries Overall

Qatar is located on a small desert peninsula that extends northward into the Persian Gulf from the Arabian Peninsula. Qatar became subject to the Islamic caliphate after the rise of Islam in 628 A.D. and was subsequently ruled by a number of local and foreign powers. Once a poor British protectorate, the small nation became an independent state in 1971. Now rich in oil and natural gas, Qatar is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Just over half of the country’s gross domestic product is comprised of manufacturing, construction and financial services, which has helped the country weather the global decline in oil prices in recent years.

GDP

$237 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$114,648

POPULATION

2.70 million

33.

Greece

#27 in Best Countries Overall

Located in southeastern Europe, Greece as an independent nation is young, existing since the 19th century. Its civilization, however, is one of history’s oldest and most influential, credited with creating the concept of democracy as well as the ancient Olympic Games, and laying Western foundations in science, the arts and philosophy.

GDP

$219 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$36,835

POPULATION

10.6 million

34.

35.

Brazil

#28 in Best Countries Overall

Occupying half of South America’s land mass, Brazil is the giant of the continent – both in size and in population. Brazil’s history is filled with economic turmoil, veering from boom to bust, and its culture is a melting pot that has traditionally welcomed the world. Brazil is one of the world’s top tourist destinations. However, the country in the 21st century confronts serious questions touching on poverty, inequality, governance and the environment.

GDP

$1.92 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$17,822

POPULATION

215 million

36.

Thailand

#29 in Best Countries Overall

Thailand, which translates to “land of the free,” is the only Southeast Asian nation that did not encounter European colonization. Located just above the equator, the nation is wedged into the Indochina peninsula with neighbors Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and has an arm that extends out to Malaysia.

GDP

$495 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$20,672

POPULATION

71.7 million

37.

India

#30 in Best Countries Overall

Located in Southeast Asia, India sits on a peninsula that extends between the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The country, the birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism, is the world’s second most-populous nation after China, and has roughly one-sixth of the world’s population. After years of nonviolent struggle against British rule, India gained its independence in 1947.

GDP

$3.39 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$8,379

POPULATION

1.42 billion

38.

39.

Saudi Arabia

#31 in Best Countries Overall

Saudi Arabia is the giant of the Middle East, with both the vast majority of land and wealth of the Arabian Peninsula falling within its borders. Millions of devout Muslims from around the world participate in a pilgrimage to Mecca each year, believed to be the birthplace of the Muslim prophet Mohammed and the cradle of Islam. A fierce religious identity dominates the Sunni-majority nation, with principles of the Koran, conservative Sunni teachings known as Wahhabism and strict Islamic Shariah law present in all aspects of life.

GDP

$1.11 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$59,065

POPULATION

36.4 million

40.

Turkey

#32 in Best Countries Overall

Founded in 1923, Turkey is home to a unique intersection of culture as the nation bridges Asia with Europe. The country is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, though influences of bygone Roman and Byzantine rule pepper the streets and skyline. Extravagant mosques and cathedrals can both be found within blocks of the Grand Bazaar in the city of Istanbul, home to 14 million people. Religious identity is an important part of Turkey’s evolution. For more than a decade, power struggles between a military-backed secular government and an increasingly popular religious movement have raised concerns about government stability.

GDP

$906 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$37,274

POPULATION

85.3 million

41.

Mexico

#33 in Best Countries Overall

Bordered by the Pacific Ocean on its West and the Gulf of Mexico to its East, Mexico is the third-largest country in Latin America and has the second-largest economy. The nation is one of contrasts, with terrain encompassing arid lands and Caribbean coastlines and a society that has extremes of wealth and poverty. Once home of the Maya, Aztec and other ancient civilizations, Mexico was ruled by Spain starting in the early 16th century. Administered by Spain for three centuries, the country achieved independence early in the 19th century, first as a short-lived empire and then as a republic in 1824.

GDP

$1.41 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$21,512

POPULATION

128 million

42.

43.

Egypt

#34 in Best Countries Overall

Egypt, with vast swaths of desert in its east and west and the rich Nile River Valley at its heart, is site to one of the world’s earliest and greatest civilizations. Its location at the northeast corner of Africa bordering the Mediterranean Sea has made it a cultural and trading center. But its location has also made it a prize to claim by empires and put it at the center of social and religious movements.

GDP

$477 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$15,091

POPULATION

111 million

44.

Poland

#35 in Best Countries Overall

Poland is a medium-sized nation located in central Europe with a history and culture shaped by a millennium of conflict across the European continent. The Christian Kingdom of Poland was formally created in 1025 and by the mid-16th century the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth was one of the largest countries on the continent. Partitioned by neighboring countries in the late 18th century, Poland briefly regained its independence following World War I. Nazi Germany and the former Soviet Union invaded the country in 1939, marking the beginning of World War II.

GDP

$688 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$43,269

POPULATION

37.6 million

45.

Israel

#36 in Best Countries Overall

Israel, the only Jewish nation in the world, is a small country on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. For its relatively small size, the country has played a large role in global affairs. The country has a strong economy, landmarks of significance to several religions and strained relationships with many of its Arab neighbors.

GDP

$522 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$49,509

POPULATION

9.55 million

46.

47.

Russia

#37 in Best Countries Overall

The scale of Russia is difficult to imagine. It is the world’s largest country by land mass – nearly twice as big as Canada, the world’s second-largest nation – and covers all of northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe. It shares land borders with more than a dozen countries, and shares sea borders with Japan and the United States.

GDP

$2.24 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$36,485

POPULATION

144 million

48.

Malaysia

#38 in Best Countries Overall

Located in two separate regions in the South China Sea, Malaysia is a small country with a fast-growing economy. Once a British colony, the country is home to about 29 million people, many of whom live in or near the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Located on an ocean trade route, Malaysia came under the influence of China, India, the Middle East and eventually Great Britain in the late 18th century. The Federation of Malaysia was formed in 1948 by the unification of former British-ruled territories along the Malay Peninsula. In 1963, the former British colonies of Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak, joined the Federation, thereafter known simply as Malaysia.

GDP

$406 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$33,434

POPULATION

33.9 million

49.

Argentina

#39 in Best Countries Overall

Argentina, the birthplace of tango, has experienced its share of tragedy and hardship since it became an independent nation in the early 19th century. During the 20th century, Argentina tilted between democracy and authoritarian rule, marked by the 1976-1983 “Dirty War” launched against political opponents of the country’s military government. Democracy returned to Argentina in 1983. The overwhelming majority of its citizens are ethnically European or partially European, reflecting the country’s 16th-century Spanish colonization and the waves of 19th and early 20th century immigration that flowed from Europe – particularly Spain and Italy.

GDP

$633 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$26,505

POPULATION

46.2 million

50.

51.

Morocco

#40 in Best Countries Overall

The Kingdom of Morocco is a Muslim country in western North Africa, with coastlines on the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Just an hour ferry ride from Spain, the country has a unique mix of Arab, Berber, African and European cultural influences. Unlike many of its neighbors, Morocco remained independent for much of its history. Once part of the Roman Empire, the country was ruled by a series of kingdoms after the Arab conquest of the late seventh century. Morocco thwarted attempts at Turkish and European control until the country became a French protectorate from 1912 to 1956, when it gained independence.

GDP

$134 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$9,519

POPULATION

37.5 million

52.

Indonesia

#41 in Best Countries Overall

Made up of a chain of thousands of islands between Asia and Australia, Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state and the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation. Indonesia’s people are diverse, speaking more than 300 languages and ranging from cosmopolitan urbanites to rural villagers. There are hundreds of volcanoes in Indonesia, the most famous of which is Krakatoa, whose explosion in 1883 was one of the most catastrophic in history. Hindu-Buddhist and Muslim kingdoms existed before the arrival of the Dutch, who colonized the archipelago but ceded independence to the country after an occasionally violent struggle in 1949. From 1967 until 1988, President Suharto ruled Indonesia with an iron hand. Free and fair elections took place in 1999, after rioting toppled his dictatorship.

GDP

$1.32 trillion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$14,653

POPULATION

276 million

53.

Costa Rica

#42 in Best Countries Overall

Located in the heart of Central America, Costa Rica has been one of the most politically and economically stable countries in Central America since its birth in the 19th century The nation compares favorably to its regional neighbors in areas of human development, and it has used its landscapes of jungles, forests and coastlines to develop an international reputation for ecotourism. Costa Rica’s constitution was adopted in 1949, and has since been amended to declare the nation as multicultural and multiethnic.

GDP

$68.4 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$24,923

POPULATION

5.18 million

54.

55.

Philippines

#43 in Best Countries Overall

Thousands of islands in the South China Sea comprise the tropical nation of the Philippines. The land of beautiful beaches and abundant biodiversity has long been plagued by political instability, but its resilient economy continues to improve and push ahead of others in the region. The Republic of the Philippines claimed independence from Japan after World War II in 1946 with assistance from the United States, which had exercised colonial rule over the nation earlier in the century. American influence and ties remain prevalent in the Filipino society, although the relationship has become more strained since the 2016 election of President Rodrigo Duterte.

GDP

$404 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$10,133

POPULATION

116 million

56.

Vietnam

#44 in Best Countries Overall

Curving along the eastern edge of the Indochina Peninsula, Vietnam shares long stretches of its borders with Cambodia, Laos and the South China Sea. Occupied by the French until 1954, a communist state emerged in 1975 after the People’s Army of the north and Viet Cong guerilla fighters defeated the anti-communist south. The bitter war garnered international attention and participation, especially from the United States, at a critical juncture in the Cold War era in which communism was gaining ground on the global stage. “Doi moi” economic policy reforms beginning in 1986 have helped The Socialist Republic of Vietnam transition to a more modern, competitive nation.

GDP

$409 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$13,457

POPULATION

98.2 million

57.

Croatia

#45 in Best Countries Overall

Croatia has found itself at the crossroads of major historical movements, both East and West. These political shifts have uniquely shaped its present-day borders, which curve around Bosnia and Herzegovina in central Europe and stretch along the Adriatic Sea opposite Italy. The nation’s stunning Mediterranean coastline eases into the rugged Dinaric Alps and, continuing northeast, the fertile plains of the Danube River.

GDP

$71.0 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$40,380

POPULATION

3.85 million

58.

59.

South Africa

#46 in Best Countries Overall

South Africa is located on the southern tip of Africa, with coastlines on both the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Africa’s third-largest economy behind Nigeria and Egypt, South Africa draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year eager to see its impressive terrain, wildlife and cultural diversity. Although South Africa has come a long way since the end of apartheid in 1994, it remains a country of vast inequality and high crime. While the country is dotted with world-class dining, trendy shops, sprawling vineyards and upscale safari lodges, townships lacking basic infrastructure are often only a short distance away.

GDP

$406 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$15,905

POPULATION

59.9 million

60.

Cyprus

#47 in Best Countries Overall

The Republic of Cyprus is an island nation located south of Turkey near the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean.

GDP

$28.4 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$49,931

POPULATION

1.25 million

61.

Czechia

#48 in Best Countries Overall

The Czech Republic may have been born in 1993, but the nation’s history goes back more than 1,000 years. Its location in the heart of Central Europe has nurtured a rich culture yet provided its people with a reserve born from interference and invasions from larger powers. Perhaps due to the country’s history, the people are among the least religious in the world.

GDP

$291 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$49,946

POPULATION

10.5 million

62.

63.

Hungary

#49 in Best Countries Overall

Hungary is a landlocked Central European country and a former Soviet satellite state that held its first multiparty elections in 1990. Today, the country is a parliamentary democracy with Budapest as its capital city.

GDP

$179 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$41,907

POPULATION

9.68 million

64.

Peru

#50 in Best Countries Overall

Peru is a nation whose history is as diverse as the peaks and valleys of its terrain. A strip of the Andes mountains separates a stretch of coastal plains from the dense Amazon jungle that covers more than half of the country. It is the third-largest country in South America, linking Ecuador and Chile along the west coast and bordering Colombia, Brazil and Bolivia inland. The ancient empire of the Incas was centered in Peru, leaving remnants of an expansive kingdom in its wake. A bite of the indigenous coca leaf can help to settle altitude sickness for those who climb the majestic Incan citadel of Machu Picchu.

GDP

$243 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$15,048

POPULATION

34.0 million

65.

Chile

#51 in Best Countries Overall

Distance is one way to define Chile, a long, narrow country on South America’s western coastline whose dramatic landscapes may play a part in the country’s history of producing great poets. A trip from the country’s northern border with Peru to its southern tip at Cape Horn covers 2,700 miles. Chile is narrow – its widest point is just 150 miles – as its eastern border with Argentina backs up against the Andes, the longest continental mountain range in the world.

GDP

$301 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$30,209

POPULATION

19.6 million

66.

67.

Panama

#52 in Best Countries Overall

Panama is a Central American nation that connects Costa Rica and South America by way of Colombia. Much of the country’s narrative is tied to a connector of another kind: the Panama Canal, a hub of global trade and transportation that joins the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Caribbean Sea. Construction of the canal began immediately after Panama’s secession from Colombia at the turn of the 20th century. The two nations, along with Ecuador and Venezuela initially, claimed joint independence from Spain in 1821. The massive project was financed and built by the United States in return for a claim to sovereignty over land on either side of it, effectively splitting Panama in half.

GDP

$76.5 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$39,280

POPULATION

4.41 million

68.

Dominican Republic

#53 in Best Countries Overall

The Dominican Republic, the land of merengue and baseball, occupies two-thirds of the island Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. It was the site of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas, as well the first toehold for European settlement. The country’s history reflects many of the historical challenges that the rest of Latin America has faced: civil disorder, ethnic tensions, authoritarian rule and economic upheaval. The Dominican Republic is a representative democracy, with a multi-party political system and traditional separations of government power falling on executive, legislative and judicial branches.

GDP

$114 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$22,834

POPULATION

11.2 million

69.

Sri Lanka

#54 in Best Countries Overall

Referred to as the teardrop of India, Sri Lanka sits just off the southeast coast in the Indian Ocean. Scars of a bitter civil war are fading, and an island nation rich with resources and ripe for adventure is shining through. The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, previously known as Ceylon, is governed by an elected president and legislature. The young nation was born in 1948, when the early Sinhalese settlers claimed independence from the British, putting an end to a string of colonization by many countries, including Portugal, the Netherlands and India.

GDP

$74.4 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$14,405

POPULATION

22.2 million

70.

71.

Romania

#55 in Best Countries Overall

Romania is the largest of the Balkan nations, tucked between Bulgaria and Ukraine in southeastern Europe along the Black Sea. It is a jigsaw of distinct regions, each with their own history and influence. In the 1860s the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia united to form Romania and in 1877 it gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire. Transylvania, which was ruled by Austria and Hungary, was later acquired by Romania after fighting for the Allies in World War I.

GDP

$301 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$41,888

POPULATION

19.0 million

72.

Estonia

#56 in Best Countries Overall

Estonia is a small country in Northern Europe bordered by giant Russia to the east, Latvia to the south, the Baltic Sea to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the north. The country’s territory includes a mainland and more than 2,000 islands.

GDP

$38.1 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$46,697

POPULATION

1.34 million

73.

Uruguay

#57 in Best Countries Overall

Uruguay spent much of the 20th century under military rule before emerging as a democratic country in 1984. The country’s origins date to the 16th century, when it was discovered by the Portuguese in 1512, but it remained in contention between Spain and Portugal until it gained independence in the 1811 Battle of Las Piedras. A series of civil wars and internal strife occupied most of the 19th century.

GDP

$71.2 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$28,842

POPULATION

3.42 million

74.

75.

Bahrain

#58 in Best Countries Overall

Off the east coast of Saudi Arabia, a collection of a few dozen small islands comprise Bahrain. It is one of seven Arab states that border the Persian Gulf and, with the exception of Iraq, belong to the Gulf Cooperation Council, a political and economic union in the region.

GDP

$44.4 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$61,228

POPULATION

1.47 million

76.

Kenya

#59 in Best Countries Overall

When Kenya claimed its independence from the U.K. in 1963, leaders of the newly formed republic promoted a sense of national unity using the motto “harambee,” Swahili for ‘pulling together.’ The sentiment holds true today in a country that blends the rich culture and traditions of dozens of varied groups that call it home. Scientists have called the East African nation, situated along the equator, the cradle of humankind. Some of the oldest and most complete human remains have been found along the Great Rift Valley, a volcano-lined trench that runs through western Kenya.

GDP

$113 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$5,764

POPULATION

54.0 million

77.

Colombia

#60 in Best Countries Overall

Colombia is located in the northwest corner of South America and is the continent’s most populous Spanish-speaking nation. Roughly twice the geographic size of France, Colombia is bordered by both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, as well as Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador. Colombia won independence from Spain in the early 19th century, and was one of three countries that formed out of the 19th-century collapse of Gran Colombia – the other two nations being Ecuador and Venezuela. Today the country is a democratic republic with universal suffrage, with separate executive, legislative and judicial branches of the federal government.

GDP

$344 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$20,287

POPULATION

51.9 million

78.

79.

Bulgaria

#61 in Best Countries Overall

Located in the southeastern corner of the Balkans, Bulgaria sits at the junction of Europe and Asia. Its location has made it susceptible to invasions in the past, but it also has provided a rich culture – the country is the birthplace of the Cyrillic script.

GDP

$89.0 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$33,582

POPULATION

6.47 million

80.

Lithuania

#62 in Best Countries Overall

The largest and most populous of the three Baltic nations, Lithuania is located along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia, Belarus, Poland and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.

GDP

$70.3 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$48,397

POPULATION

2.83 million

81.

Slovakia

#63 in Best Countries Overall

Slovakia is a landlocked country in Central Europe with dramatic landscapes dominated by mountains, valleys and caves that form part of the Western Carpathians.

GDP

$115 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$37,459

POPULATION

5.43 million

82.

83.

Cambodia

#64 in Best Countries Overall

Cambodia is the smallest country by landmass on the Indochina Peninsula. Officially named the Kingdom of Cambodia, and affectionately called the Kingdom of Wonder, the country has a rich cultural history, with roots in both Buddhism and Hinduism, and is home to the largest religious monument on earth: Angkor Wat, a temple complex built in the 12th century spanning approximately 400 acres.

GDP

$30.0 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$5,349

POPULATION

16.8 million

84.

Oman

#65 in Best Countries Overall

The oldest independent state in the Arab world, Oman is located on the southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula at the confluence of the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. The country was always of interest to foreign powers due to its strategic position for Indian Ocean trade. Controlled by the Portuguese in the 1500s and later the Persians, the country eventually formed close ties with Britain in the late 19th century, though it never became a colony. During the 1800s, Oman profited greatly from the slave trade, cultivating colonies in modern-day Kenya, Tanzania and Pakistan.

GDP

$115 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$41,724

POPULATION

4.58 million

85.

Slovenia

#66 in Best Countries Overall

Slovenia is a small country located in southern Central Europe, bordered by Croatia, Hungary, Austria, Italy and the Adriatic Sea. Slovenia had been ruled by many larger states dating to the Roman Empire and later the Habsburgs of Austria. Following World War I and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Slovenia achieved self-determination, eventually merging with Croatia and Serbia to first form a Kingdom of Yugoslavia. After World War II, Slovenia was part of a reformed socialist Republic of Yugoslavia. It declared independence in 1991 from the former Yugoslavia and today the country has a parliamentary democracy form of government.

GDP

$62.1 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$50,032

POPULATION

2.11 million

86.

87.

Jordan

#67 in Best Countries Overall

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a small, young country located on land of ancient biblical significance. The country is one of the most liberal in the region and also has one of the smallest economies, as it lacks the natural resources enjoyed by many of its neighbors. Under the rule of the Ottoman Empire until 1918 and later a mandate of the United Kingdom, Jordan became an independent kingdom in 1946. The country lost the West Bank and East Jerusalem to Israel in the war of 1967. Years later the country joined Egypt in becoming one of the two Arab nations to make peace with Israel.

GDP

$47.5 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$11,003

POPULATION

11.3 million

88.

Ukraine

#68 in Best Countries Overall

Ukraine, a nation whose history has experienced long periods of occupation from other countries, today wrestles between war and peace, as well as between corruption and reform. The nation borders the Black and Azov seas to the south and abuts several Eastern European nations, including Russia. Ukraine declared independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Its president is directly elected by voters. The prime minister is the head of the central government, which is separated along executive, legislative and judicial branches.

GDP

$161 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$12,671

POPULATION

38.0 million

89.

Bangladesh

#69 in Best Countries Overall

The People's Republic of Bangladesh is a densely populated South Asian country bordered by India and Myanmar. It has the eighth-largest population in the world, with about 60% of its people living in rural areas. Dhaka is the country’s capital.

GDP

$460 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$7,395

POPULATION

171 million

90.

91.

Tunisia

#70 in Best Countries Overall

Tunisia is a small Arab country in North Africa that represents both the aspirations of freedom and struggles against terrorism that roil the region. Along with neighbors Algeria and Libya, it lines the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, a strategic location that has attracted Romans, Arabs, Ottoman Turks and others over the years. At the end of 2010, rising inflation and a lack of political freedom combined with high unemployment - particularly among college graduates - ignited public protests that set off the “Arab Spring” wave of demonstrations across much of the Arab World that called for greater freedoms.

GDP

$46.7 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$12,490

POPULATION

12.4 million

92.

Ecuador

#71 in Best Countries Overall

Named for its proximity to the Earth’s equator, the South American nation of Ecuador is home to a more dynamic society than its straightforward name may suggest. Tremendous culture is packed within a nation a quarter the size of its neighbors, Colombia and Peru. Once part of the Inca Empire, Ecuador won independence from Spain in the early 1800s and was one of three countries that emerged from the 19th-century collapse of Gran Colombia. Its current population -- largely of mixed indigenous and European descent -- is a clear manifestation of these distinctive roots. Spanish is the official language, and Incan Quechua is used in formal intercultural relations.

GDP

$115 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$12,822

POPULATION

18.0 million

93.

Latvia

#72 in Best Countries Overall

On the edge of eastern Europe, Latvia sits nestled between Estonia and Lithuania. The trio form the Baltic states and share roots in early tribal settlers as well as similarly strategic locations along the Baltic Sea that have led to various coinciding conquests of their land throughout history. Latvia is among the larger European countries in terms of landmass, but low population density has allowed more than half of the country’s geography to remain as natural ecosystems. There is great geographic diversity within the country’s borders, too, from Ventas Rumba, Europe’s widest waterfall, to the towering pines of Gauja National Park and the crystalline Baltic waters along the resort town of Jurmala.

GDP

$41.2 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$39,956

POPULATION

1.88 million

94.

95.

Ghana

#73 in Best Countries Overall

The former Gold Coast, named for its rich deposits of the precious metal, became the Republic of Ghana in 1957 when it gained independence from British colonial rule. An ancient trade route once ran through West Africa, crossing through Ghana and neighbors Togo and Cote d’Ivoire. The discovery of gold made Ghana one of the first places in sub-Saharan Africa to attract European traders; it was also the first nation in the region to break colonial rule.

GDP

$72.8 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$6,498

POPULATION

33.5 million

96.

El Salvador

#74 in Best Countries Overall

El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America by area, and one of the most densely populated, according to estimates from the World Bank. The country is bordered by Guatemala to the northwest, Honduras to the northeast and faces the Pacific Ocean to the south.

GDP

$32.5 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$11,096

POPULATION

6.34 million

97.

Guatemala

#75 in Best Countries Overall

Home to much of Mayan civilization, Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America, touching Mexico’s southern border and possessing coastlines on the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Guatemalans have traveled a painful road to present-day democracy. The country won independence from Spain in the early 19th century, but civil discord and authoritarian rule has marked much of the country’s history.

GDP

$95.0 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$10,818

POPULATION

17.4 million

98.

99.

Zimbabwe

#76 in Best Countries Overall

The Republic of Zimbabwe sits just above South Africa and below Zambia in the southeast corner of the African continent. After decades of colonial and company rule by Great Britain and British mining interests – during which the territory was known as Rhodesia and Southern Rhodesia – the country now known as Zimbabwe gained its independence from the United Kingdom in April 1980, after a brutal and protracted civil war.

GDP

$20.7 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$2,531

POPULATION

16.3 million

100.

Azerbaijan

#77 in Best Countries Overall

Azerbaijan is a small nation located in the Caucasus region, straddling Europe and Asia. Situated at a geographic crossroads, the land was ruled by many empires before it first became a democratic republic in 1918, following World War I. Just two years later, however, it was absorbed into the Soviet Union. In 1991 Azerbaijan emerged as an independent republic following the Soviet collapse.

GDP

$78.7 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$17,764

POPULATION

10.2 million

101.

Cameroon

#78 in Best Countries Overall

The Republic of Cameroon is a central African country that sits on the continent’s western coast, bordered by countries such as Chad, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. Its youthful population of more than 29 million people is concentrated in the West and North, but the country’s capital of Yaoundé is located inland in its south-central region.

GDP

$44.3 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$4,408

POPULATION

27.9 million

102.

103.

Algeria

#79 in Best Countries Overall

Nestled against the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, Algeria gained independence from France in 1962 following an eight-year war. It is the largest nation by area in Africa and the Arab world, and most of the country is covered by desert.

GDP

$192 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$13,210

POPULATION

44.9 million

104.

Myanmar

#80 in Best Countries Overall

The history of Myanmar, also known as Burma, is marked by ethnic violence and widespread impoverishment as it has convulsed between democratic freedom and brutal authoritarian rule. The country, a medium-sized nation in Southeast Asia that borders Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand, is populated by several ethnic groups, with the Burmese dominating the population, politics, economy and society.

GDP

$59.4 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$4,870

POPULATION

54.2 million

105.

Honduras

#81 in Best Countries Overall

Honduras – its name derived from the Spanish word for “depths” – is a coastal country in Central America bordering the Caribbean Sea. It was part of the Spanish empire from the 1500s until 1821, and became an independent republic in 1838.

GDP

$31.7 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$6,741

POPULATION

10.4 million

106.

107.

Serbia

#82 in Best Countries Overall

Serbia is a small country in central-southeast Europe whose history is a timeline of European wars dating to the Middle Ages. Contemporary Serbia reflects the ambiguities and contradictions of modern Europe – culturally rich, comparatively developed economically yet driven by regional rivalries and ethnic tensions.

GDP

$63.5 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$23,911

POPULATION

6.76 million

108.

Uzbekistan

#83 in Best Countries Overall

Uzbekistan is the geographic center of Central Asia, sandwiched between five countries and featuring a mostly desert climate. The country has been independent since the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 and has since developed a diverse economy built upon agricultural production and a growing mineral and petroleum export capacity. Its government is a presidential republic that is described as “highly authoritarian,” according to Western governments including the U.S., as well as international rights groups.

GDP

$80.4 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$9,533

POPULATION

35.6 million

109.

Kazakhstan

#84 in Best Countries Overall

Kazakhstan, the world's largest landlocked country, is located mostly in Central Asia, with a small section in easternmost Europe. The country has the largest economy in the region, fueled mostly by its vast natural resources. Present day Kazakhstan was part of various empires throughout the centuries, including the Mongols in the 13th and 14th centuries. The area came under Russian control in the 18th century and became a Soviet Republic in 1936. In 1991, it was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence after the fall of the Soviet Union.

GDP

$221 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$30,810

POPULATION

19.6 million

110.

111.

Lebanon

#85 in Best Countries Overall

Lebanon is a Levantine country in the northern Arabian Peninsula, located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and bordered by Syria to its north and east, and Israel to its south. Its location at the crossroads of Asia and Europe gave birth to early kingdoms and has put it in the center of political and religious upheavals throughout history.

GDP

$23.1 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$14,331

POPULATION

5.49 million

112.

Belarus

#86 in Best Countries Overall

Carved out of Russia’s east border, Belarus sits among a group of post-Soviet states in East Europe to the north of Ukraine. The nation claimed its independence in 1991 after seven decades under the USSR. Though landlocked, more than 11,000 lakes and ancient, enchanting woodlands cover the flat landscape. Despite operating under an autonomous government, Belarus maintains extremely close political and economic ties with Russia. Isolationist trade policies are fueled by priority access to cheap oil from Russia, a relationship that has been called into question more than once in the last decade.

GDP

$72.8 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$22,591

POPULATION

9.21 million

113.

Iran

#87 in Best Countries Overall

Iran, once the heart of the great Persian Empire, sits in southwestern Asia, bordered to its east by Afghanistan and to its west by Iraq. Iran has one of the largest economies in the Middle East and one of the largest populations, with about 86 million people.

GDP

$389 billion

GDP PER CAPITA, PPP

$18,075

POPULATION

88.6 million

ATTACHMENT SIXTEEN – FROM THE WORLD BANK

Women’s access to employment and economic opportunity depends on many factors, from underlying economic conditions to social norms. This interactive highlights one critical precondition for women’s economic participation: equality under the law. The World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2018 report presents data on close to 170 gender inequalities in legal treatment in 189 countries, grouped into seven categories: accessing institutions, building credit, getting a job, going to court, protecting women from violence, providing incentives to work, and using property. The World Bank then scored countries on a narrower list of fifty legal gender inequalities selected from the full data set. For completeness, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) added to this list an additional six legal gender inequalities from the World Bank data set, selected because of their significance to women’s rights and opportunities. CFR then calculated a ranking of countries, giving each an overall average score between 0 and 100 (100 being the best).

Australia

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 1

94.9

Score

Canada

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 2

94.5

Score

New Zealand

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 3

93.6

Score

Spain

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 4

92.9

Score

Mexico

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 5

92.8

Score

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 6

92.2

Score

United Kingdom

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 7

91.8

Score

Lithuania

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group High

Global rank 8

91.4

Score

Iceland

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 9

90.5

Score

Latvia

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group High

Global rank 10

89.6

Score

Denmark

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 11

89.3

Score

El Salvador

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 12

Score

Netherlands

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 12

Score

Austria

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 14

88.6

Score

Croatia

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 15

87.7

Score

France

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 16

87.6

Score

Macedonia

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 17

86.6

Score

Puerto Rico (U.S.)

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group High

Global rank 18

86.2

Score

Estonia

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 19

Score

United States

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 20

85.8

Score

Sweden

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 21

85.1

Score

South Korea

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 22

Score

Belgium

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 23

84.8

Score

Honduras

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 23

84.8

Score

Portugal

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 23

84.8

Score

Romania

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 26

84.7

Score

Malta

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group High

Global rank 27

84.1

Score

South Africa

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 28

Score

Mauritius

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 29

83.3

Score

Slovakia

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 29

83.3

Score

Germany

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 31

83.1

Score

Nicaragua

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 31

83.1

Score

Slovenia

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 33

82.7

Score

Paraguay

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 34

82.4

Score

Peru

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 34

82.4

Score

Dominican Republic

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 36

Score

Zambia

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 37

81.5

Score

Albania

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 38

80.9

Score

Italy

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 39

80.8

Score

Hungary

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 40

80.7

Score

Kosovo

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 41

80.5

Score

Ireland

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 42

80.4

Score

Taiwan

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group High

Global rank 43

80.2

Score

Luxembourg

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 44

79.9

Score

Bolivia

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 45

79.6

Score

Panama

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 45

79.6

Score

Bulgaria

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 47

79.5

Score

Cyprus

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group High

Global rank 47

79.5

Score

Czech Republic

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 47

79.5

Score

Finland

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 50

79.4

Score

Brazil

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 51

79.3

Score

Greece

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 51

79.3

Score

Serbia

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 53

79.2

Score

Norway

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 54

78.9

Score

Namibia

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 55

77.7

Score

Ecuador

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 56

77.5

Score

Philippines

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 57

Score

Trinidad and Tobago

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group High

Global rank 58

76.8

Score

Mongolia

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 59

76.5

Score

Poland

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 59

76.5

Score

Guyana

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 61

76.2

Score

Zimbabwe

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 62

75.8

Score

Costa Rica

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 63

75.7

Score

Hong Kong

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group High

Global rank 64

75.5

Score

Argentina

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 65

75.2

Score

Switzerland

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 66

75.1

Score

Guatemala

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 67

74.7

Score

Mozambique

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 68

74.5

Score

Colombia

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 69

Score

Israel

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 70

73.7

Score

Kenya

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 71

72.8

Score

Montenegro

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 72

72.6

Score

Georgia

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 73

72.5

Score

Venezuela

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 73

72.5

Score

Cambodia

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 75

72.2

Score

Vietnam

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 76

71.4

Score

Uruguay

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group High

Global rank 77

71.1

Score

Moldova

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 78

70.9

Score

Malawi

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 79

70.3

Score

Rwanda

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 80

70.1

Score

Turkey

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 80

70.1

Score

Cape Verde

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 82

69.7

Score

East Timor

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 83

69.4

Score

Ukraine

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 84

Score

China

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 85

68.3

Score

Saint Lucia

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 86

67.8

Score

Kyrgyzstan

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 87

67.4

Score

Nigeria

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 87

67.4

Score

Japan

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 89

66.7

Score

Thailand

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 90

66.2

Score

Burundi

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 91

Score

Maldives

Region South Asia

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 92

65.9

Score

Armenia

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 93

65.3

Score

Chile

Region OECD

Income group High

Global rank 94

65.1

Score

Fiji

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 94

65.1

Score

San Marino

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group High

Global rank 96

64.9

Score

Lesotho

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 97

63.9

Score

Burkina Faso

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 98

63.8

Score

Tanzania

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 99

63.7

Score

Singapore

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group High

Global rank 100

63.4

Score

Ivory Coast

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 101

63.2

Score

Bahamas

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group High

Global rank 102

62.6

Score

India

Region South Asia

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 102

62.6

Score

Bhutan

Region South Asia

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 104

62.5

Score

Ethiopia

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 105

62.1

Score

Morocco

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 105

62.1

Score

Kazakhstan

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 107

61.9

Score

Laos

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 108

61.7

Score

Uganda

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 109

61.6

Score

Sri Lanka

Region South Asia

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 110

61.5

Score

Ghana

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 111

60.4

Score

Tajikistan

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 112

60.3

Score

Belarus

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 113

60.2

Score

Azerbaijan

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 114

Score

Barbados

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group High

Global rank 115

59.7

Score

Belize

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 116

59.4

Score

Grenada

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 116

59.4

Score

Angola

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 118

59.2

Score

Sierra Leone

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 118

59.2

Score

Djibouti

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 120

59.1

Score

Russia

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 121

58.5

Score

Gambia

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 122

57.7

Score

Jamaica

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 122

57.7

Score

Madagascar

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 122

57.7

Score

Liberia

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 125

57.6

Score

Samoa

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 126

57.2

Score

Togo

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 127

56.8

Score

Dominica

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 128

56.3

Score

Malaysia

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 129

56.1

Score

Central African Republic

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 130

Score

Nepal

Region South Asia

Income group Low

Global rank 131

Score

Seychelles

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group High

Global rank 131

Score

Cameroon

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 133

54.6

Score

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 133

54.6

Score

Suriname

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 135

54.3

Score

Eritrea

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 136

54.2

Score

Eswatini

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 137

54.1

Score

Benin

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 138

53.9

Score

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group High

Global rank 138

53.9

Score

Chad

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 140

53.7

Score

Sao Tome and Principe

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 141

53.4

Score

Kiribati

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 142

52.5

Score

Papua New Guinea

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 143

52.3

Score

Comoros

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 144

52.1

Score

Marshall Islands

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 145

Score

Vanuatu

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 146

51.9

Score

Botswana

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 147

51.8

Score

Egypt

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 148

51.7

Score

Bangladesh

Region South Asia

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 149

50.9

Score

Uzbekistan

Region Europe and Central Asia

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 150

50.3

Score

Democratic Republic of Congo

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 151

Score

Indonesia

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 151

Score

Algeria

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 153

49.6

Score

Antigua and Barbuda

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group High

Global rank 153

49.6

Score

Senegal

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 155

49.5

Score

Tunisia

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 156

48.9

Score

Guinea

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 157

48.7

Score

Lebanon

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 158

48.1

Score

Solomon Islands

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 159

47.1

Score

Haiti

Region Latin America and the Caribbean

Income group Low

Global rank 160

46.9

Score

Gabon

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 161

46.7

Score

Mali

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 161

46.7

Score

Myanmar

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 163

45.5

Score

Pakistan

Region South Asia

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 164

44.3

Score

Equatorial Guinea

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 165

44.1

Score

Palau

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group High

Global rank 166

43.9

Score

Niger

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 167

43.5

Score

Afghanistan

Region South Asia

Income group Low

Global rank 168

40.3

Score

Micronesia

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 168

40.3

Score

Guinea-Bissau

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 170

39.6

Score

Palestinian Territories

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 171

39.3

Score

Tonga

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 172

Score

Brunei

Region East Asia and the Pacific

Income group High

Global rank 173

37.7

Score

Jordan

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 174

37.4

Score

South Sudan

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Low

Global rank 175

36.6

Score

United Arab Emirates

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group High

Global rank 175

36.6

Score

Libya

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 177

36.4

Score

Republic of Congo

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 178

33.6

Score

Saudi Arabia

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group High

Global rank 179

32.6

Score

Oman

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group High

Global rank 180

32.4

Score

Bahrain

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group High

Global rank 181

32.2

Score

Kuwait

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group High

Global rank 181

32.2

Score

Iraq

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 183

31.9

Score

Mauritania

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 184

31.6

Score

Iran

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group Upper middle

Global rank 185

31.2

Score

Sudan

Region Sub-Saharan Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 186

30.3

Score

Qatar

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group High

Global rank 187

29.8

Score

Syria

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 188

27.7

Score

Yemen

Region Middle East and North Africa

Income group Lower middle

Global rank 189

ATTACHMENT SEVENTEEN – FROM CEO WORLD

Revealed: World’s Best Countries For Women, 2024

By Christina Miller April 15, 2024

A recent report published by CEOWORLD magazine ranked the Netherlands as the best country in the world for women. Norway and Sweden followed up in second and third place, respectively, and Denmark ranked fourth. Eight out of the top ten countries for women are in Europe, including Finland (No. 5), Switzerland (No. 7), France (No. 9), and Germany (No. 10). Canada (No. 6) and New Zealand (No. 8) also made it to the list.

According to the rankings for 2024, Austria took 12th place ahead of Italy in 13th, while Luxembourg ranked 11th and Spain 14th. Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom held the 15th, 16th, and 17th positions respectively. Overall, the report provides valuable insights into the best countries for women to live in around the world.

“There exists a pervasive pattern of discrimination and violence against women, although the extent and severity vary from one country to another. Regional, racial, and socio-economic factors are major determinants of the objectification of women and gender equality,” stated Prof. Dr. Amarendra Bhushan Dhiraj, CEO of CEOWORLD magazine. “To be frank, there is no nation in the world where women enjoy complete safety and equality. However, some countries do perform better than others in terms of equal rights, social inclusion, and safety.”

CEOWORLD magazine has recently published its annual ranking of the Best Countries for Women, based on a survey conducted on nearly 280,000 women from all over the world. The study evaluated 156 countries on nine different attributes, including gender equality, the percentage of legislative seats held by women, the sense of security among females aged 15 years and above while walking alone at night, income equality, concern for human rights, women’s empowerment, the average education level of women, the percentage of women aged 25 and above who are engaged in paid work, and the level of women’s inclusion in society.

The World’s Best Countries For Women, 2024

Rank

Country

Score

Netherlands

99.7

Norway

99.4

Sweden

99.2

Denmark

98.7

Finland

98.3

Canada

97.5

Switzerland

97.1

New Zealand

96.8

France

96.4

Germany

95.9

Luxembourg

95.7

Austria

95.2

Italy

94.8

Spain

94.4

Japan

93.69

Australia

92.08

United Kingdom

91.26

Portugal

91.23

Singapore

90.68

United States

90.3

Ireland

89.67

Belgium

89.11

Iceland

88.73

Poland

88.52

Monaco

88.23

San Marino

87.76

Liechtenstein

87.64

Greece

87.62

Israel

86.85

Andorra

86.6

Malta

86.38

Czech Republic

86.02

Hungary

85.08

Cyprus

84.96

Russia

84.75

Serbia

84.64

Lithuania

84.43

Mexico

83.79

Latvia

83.39

Croatia

83.39

Moldova

83.26

Bulgaria

83.04

Armenia

82.95

Albania

82.87

Kosovo

82.8

Montenegro

82.69

North Macedonia

82.48

Slovenia

82.38

India

82.34

Azerbaijan

82.24

Saint Kitts and Nevis

82.06

Georgia

81.93

Grenada

81.82

Taiwan

81.46

Bhutan

81.08

South Korea

80.96

Philippines

80.83

Thailand

80.78

Brazil

80.68

Turkey

80.11

Cuba

79.69

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

79.54

Romania

79.46

Guatemala

79.39

Argentina

79.08

Ukraine

78.86

Peru

78.86

Barbados

78.77

Colombia

78.72

Bosnia and Herzegovina

78.49

Bolivia

77.95

Antigua and Barbuda

77.94

Costa Rica

77.75

Bahamas

77.55

Kazakhstan

77.42

Jamaica

77.35

Belarus

77.28

Trinidad and Tobago

77.22

Chile

77.16

Paraguay

76.77

Venezuela

76.77

Myanmar

76.76

Ecuador

76.56

Mongolia

76.46

Guyana

76.46

Maldives

76.32

Indonesia

75.66

Vietnam

75.52

Saudi Arabia

75.49

Malaysia

75.45

Oman

75.11

Sri Lanka

74.89

Laos

74.8

Cambodia

74.79

China

74.13

Jordan

74.11

Kyrgyzstan

73.66

Tajikistan

73.59

Nepal

73.21

100

United Arab Emirates

73.16

101

Uruguay

73.08

102

North Korea

73.05

103

Suriname

72.95

104

Algeria

72.74

105

Sudan

72.57

106

Turkmenistan

72.33

107

Qatar

72.03

108

Uzbekistan

72.03

109

Mozambique

72.02

110

Cameroon

71.38

111

Kuwait

71.15

112

South Africa

71.01

113

Mauritius

70.64

114

Namibia

70.61

115

Seychelles

70.55

116

Lebanon

70.36

117

Libya

70.31

118

Kenya

70.14

119

Zimbabwe

69.43

120

DR Congo

69.18

121

Zambia

68.99

122

Madagascar

68.96

123

Iraq

68.73

124

Egypt

68.58

125

Tunisia

68.5

126

Brunei

68.09

127

Tanzania

68.06

128

Bahrain

67.65

129

Liberia

65.01

130

Nigeria

64.71

131

Ghana

64.42

132

Sierra Leone

63.84

133

Benin

62.25

134

Iran

61.62

135

Eritrea

60.96

136

Malawi

59.95

137

Togo

58.23

138

Gabon

57.18

139

Burkina Faso

56.8

140

South Sudan

53.41

141

Timor-Leste

52.4

142

Senegal

51.26

143

Mauritania

49.43

144

Uganda

46.91

145

Pakistan

44.81

146

Ethiopia

44.73

147

Yemen

43.95

148

Angola

42.25

149

Afghanistan

41.6

150

Guinea-Bissau

40.95

151

Lesotho

38.56

152

Niger

23.56

153

Syria

21.98

154

Chad

19.3

155

Somalia

14.68

156

Central African Republic

12.93

The women-focused ranking was produced by giving each country an equally weighted score across nine attributes. As expected, Scandinavian countries dominated the list. Surprisingly, some of the worst countries for women have made progress, while some of the best are lagging behind in important areas. To determine the rankings, researchers at CEOWORLD magazine analyzed and compared 150 nations across nine key attributes: gender equality, percentage of legislative seats held by women, sense of security for females 15 years and older who walk alone at night, income equality, concern for human rights, women’s empowerment, average years of education among women, women aged 25 and older who are engaged in paid work, and women’s inclusion in society. These attributes are combined into a common measure to give an overall ranking.

Each indicator was given equal weighting within each of the nine categories. To secure a place on this year’s list, countries had to rank among the top 190 nations in the world in the U.N. Human Development Index as well as among the top 190 countries in terms of GDP, foreign direct investment inflows, and international tourism receipts, according to the World Bank data. Nations that did not meet these four criteria or report this data were excluded.

CEOWORLD magazine put together a panel of experts to go over data points culled from sources like the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), World Economic Forum, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), U.S. News & World Report, the Index of Economic Freedom, the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council, and the World Bank. Based on a consensus from these sources, the final choice of countries was judged editorially, as was their position on the list. Some nations and territories were not included in the official statistics for various reasons, primarily due to the lack of necessary data. Also, countries and territories with low initial scores were excluded from the list as the comparison would create misleading results. All data is for the most recent period available.

The CEOWORLD magazine sent its survey to participants that would be “broadly representative of the global population.” Those who participated hailed from 190 nations across the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

The survey with a sample size of 250,000 respondents has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 1.2 percentage points. While interpreting the results, it is important to acknowledge that there could be other sources of error, such as coverage, nonresponse, and measurement error, which may impact the findings. Each country is assigned scores for each indicator as a fractional rank, with 100 being the top rank and 1 being the lowest rank relative to all countries for which data are available.

ATTACHMENT EIGHTEEN – FROM ABC NEWS

UN SAYS REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ARE ‘FOUNDATION’ OF GENDER EQUALITY

A leaked Supreme Court draft opinion signaled the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

By Kiara Alfonseca May 4, 2022, 12:00 PM

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres believes that women’s rights are vital to gender equality worldwide, a spokesman for Guterres said in response to a question about a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on overturning Roe v. Wade.

"The Secretary General has long believed that sexual and reproductive health and rights are the foundation for lives of choice, empowerment and equality for the world's women and girls," said Farhan Haq, a spokesman for the secretary-general.

MORE: Who leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on abortion?

Haq continued, "Without the full participation of 50% of its population, the world would be the biggest loser."

The spokesman declined to comment specifically on the leaked document and the court's upcoming decision.

The court document, obtained by Politico, shows the high court's conservative majority ready to overturn the 1973 abortion rights precedent from Roe v. Wade via a case the court is currently deciding, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

MORE: Abortion ruling upends midterm season with unequal anger: The Note

The court heard the case last year and is expected to rule on it by the end of June.

"[Guterres] has repeatedly pointed to what he has said is a global push back that we're seeing on women's rights, including reproductive rights and essential health services, and he believes it's essential to keep pursuing women's rights," Haq said.

Across the U.S., protests erupted in several cities over the leaked document, with both sides of the reproductive health debate taking to the streets in response to the news.

ATTACHMENT “A” – FROM SOURCES as NOTED

World Pop. Review/ Statista Score

US News Rankings (See Attachment 15)

Gender Inequality. Index

(2019) GII Rank HDI

CEO World Rankings

(See Attachment. 17)

Femals Danger Index

Rank by Safest Score

Maternal mortality rates from CIA World Factbook

GGGI from World Economic Forum

Iceland

0.91

Switzerland

0.025

Netherlands

99.7

Denmark

0.932

Belarus

Iceland

0.91

Norway

0.88

Canada

Norway

0.038

Norway

99.4

Switzerland

0.928

Poland

Norway

0.88

Finland

0.86

Sweden

Finland

0.039

Sweden

99.2

Sweden

0.926

Norway

Finland

0.86

New Zealand

0.86

Australia

Netherlands

0.043

Denmark

98.7

Finland

0.924

Australia

New Zealand

0.86

Germany

0.81

United States

Denmark

0.043

Finland

98.3

Luxembourg

0.924

Spain

Germany

0.81

Sweden

0.81

Japan

Sweden

0.045

Canada

97.5

Iceland

0.924

Israel

Sweden

0.81

Nicaragua

0.81

Germany

Belgium

0.045

Switzerland

97.1

Norway

0.92

North Macedonia

Nicaragua

0.81

Namibia

0.80

New Zealand

South Korea

0.047

New Zealand

96.8

Austria

0.911

Iceland

Namibia

0.80

Lithuania

0.80

United Kingdom

France

0.049

France

96.4

Netherlands

0.908

Malta

Lithuania

0.80

Belgium

0.80

Netherlands

Iceland

0.058

Germany

95.9

New Zealand

0.904

Czechia

Belgium

0.80

Ireland

0.80

Norway

Slovenia

0.063

Luxembourg

95.7

Australia

0.902

Seychelles

Ireland

0.80

Rwanda

0.79

France

Taiwan

0.064

Austria

95.2

Belgium

0.902

Japan

Rwanda

0.79

Latvia

0.79

Denmark

Luxembourg

0.065

Italy

94.8

Ireland

0.892

Netherlands

Latvia

0.79

Costa Rica

0.79

Finland

Singapore

0.065

Spain

94.4

Estonia

0.892

Germany

Costa Rica

0.79

United Kingdom

0.79

Italy

Austria

0.069

Japan

93.69

Singapore

0.887

Turkmenistan

United King

0.79

Philippines

0.79

Singapore

Italy

Australia

92.08

Lithuania

0.886

Ireland

Philippines

0.79

Spain

0.79

Spain

United Kingdom

91.26

Canada

0.885

Estonia

Spain

0.79

Albania

0.79

Belgium

Japan

Portugal

91.23

Czech Republic

0.884

Italy

Albania

0.79

Moldova

0.79

United Arab Emerates

Portugal

0.079

Singapore

90.68

Portugal

0.877

Belgium

Moldova

0.79

South Africa

0.79

China

Canada

0.080

United States

90.3

Latvia

0.872

Denmark

South Africa

0.79

Switzerland

0.78

South Korea

Germany

0.084

Ireland

89.67

Germany

0.871

Austria

Switzerland

0.78

Estonia

0.78

Austria

Cyprus

0.086

Belgium

89.11

United Arab Emirates

0.868

Croatia

Estonia

0.78

Denmark

0.78

Ireland

Estonia

0.086

Iceland

88.73

Japan

0.866

Sweden

Denmark

0.78

Jamaica

0.78

Luxembourg

Ireland

0.093

Poland

88.52

France

0.864

Slovakia

Jamaica

0.78

Mozambique

0.78

Portugal

New Zealand

0.094

Monaco

88.23

Croatia

0.862

Slovenia

Mozambique

0.78

Australia

0.78

Qatar

Australia

0.097

San Marino

87.76

United Kingdom

0.86

Luxembourg

Australia

0.78

Chile

0.78

Greece

Un. Kingdom

0.109

Liechtenstein

87.64

Spain

0.859

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chile

0.78

Netherlands

0.78

Brazil

Montenegro

0.109

Greece

87.62

Poland

0.859

Montenegro

Netherlands

0.78

Slovenia

0.77

Thailand

Poland

0.115

Israel

86.85

Slovakia

0.856

Switzerland

Slovenia

0.77

Canada

0.77

India

Greece

Andorra

86.6

South Korea

0.848

Kuwait

Canada

0.77

Barbados

0.77

Saudi Arabia

Croatia

0.116

Malta

86.38

Malta

0.846

New Zealand

Barbados

0.77

Mexico

0.77

Turkey

Un. Arab Em.

0.118

Czech Republic

86.02

Hungary

0.835

Singapore

Mexico

0.77

Portugal

0.77

Mexico

Belarus

0.118

Hungary

85.08

Serbia

0.835

Bulgaria

Portugal

0.77

Peru

0.76

Egypt

Israel

Cyprus

84.96

Italy

0.827

Qatar

Peru

0.76

Burundi

0.76

Poland

Lithuania

0.124

Russia

84.75

Bulgaria

0.826

Greece

Burundi

0.76

Argentina

0.76

Israel

Serbia

84.64

Slovenia

0.824

France

Argentina

0.76

Cape Verde

0.76

Russia

Czech Rep.

0.136

Lithuania

84.43

United States

0.823

Albania

Cape Verde

0.76

Serbia

0.76

Malaysia

N. Macedon.

0.143

Mexico

83.79

Taiwan

0.818

Finland

Serbia

0.76

Liberia

0.76

Argentina

Bosnia/Herz.

0.149

Latvia

83.39

Hong Kong

0.812

Korea, South

Liberia

0.76

France

0.76

Morocco

China

Croatia

83.39

Georgia

0.812

Lithuania

France

0.76

Belarus

0.75

Indonesia

Malta

Moldova

83.26

Montenegro

0.808

United Arab Emirates

Belarus

0.75

Colombia

0.75

Costa Rica

Latvia

Bulgaria

83.04

Romania

0.8

Serbia

Colombia

0.75

United States

0.75

Philippines

Albania

0.181

Armenia

82.95

Seychelles

0.799

Romania

United States

0.75

Luxembourg

0.75

Vietnam

Qatar

Albania

82.87

N. Maced/

0.798

United Kingdom

Luxembourg

0.75

Zimbabwe

0.75

Croatia

Kazakhstan

0.190

Kosovo

82.8

Albania

0.796

Canada

Zimbabwe

0.75

Eswatini

0.74

South Africa

Slovakia

0.191

Montenegro

82.69

Mongolia

0.794

Moldova

Eswatini

0.74

Tanzania

0.74

Cyprus

United States

0.204

North Macedonia

82.48

Barbados

0.779

Portugal

Tanzania

0.74

Austria

0.74

Czecnia

Moldova

0.204

Slovenia

82.38

Armenia

0.772

Kazakhstan

Austria

0.74

Singapore

0.74

Hungary

Bulgaria

0.206

India

82.34

Guyana

0.769

Russia

Singapore

0.74

Madagascar

0.74

Peru

Bahrain

0.212

Azerbaijan

82.24

Argentina

0.768

Chile

Madagascar

0.74

Ecuador

0.74

Chile

Russia

0.225

Saint Kitts and Nevis

82.06

Greece

0.766

Hungary

Ecuador

0.74

Suriname

0.74

Panama

Hungary

0.233

Georgia

81.93

Thailand

0.764

Saudi Arabia

Suriname

0.74

Honduras

0.73

Dominican Republic

Ukraine

0.234

Grenada

81.82

Moldova

0.758

Bahrain

Honduras

0.73

Laos

0.73

Sri Lanka

Kuwait

0.242

Taiwan

81.46

Panama

0.757

Egypt

Laos

0.73

Bolivia

0.73

Romania

Armenia

0.245

Bhutan

81.08

Bosnia/Herz.

0.754

Turkey (Turkiye)

Bolivia

0.73

Croatia

0.73

Estonia

Chile

South Korea

80.96

Russia

0.752

Tajikistan

Croatia

0.73

Brazil

0.73

Uruguay

Libya

105

Philippines

80.83

Bahrain

0.752

Oman

Brazil

0.73

Panama

0.72

Bahrain

Saudi Arabia

0.252

Thailand

80.78

Turkmen.

0.75

Ukraine

Panama

0.72

Bangladesh

0.72

Kenya

Barbados

0.252

Brazil

80.68

Uruguay

0.748

Latvia

Bangladesh

0.72

Poland

0.72

Colombia

Malaysia

0.253

Turkey

80.11

Sri Lanka

0.743

Uruguay

Poland

0.72

Kazakhstan

0.72

Bulgaria

Brunei

0.255

Cuba

79.69

Costa Rica

0.743

West Bank

Kazakhstan

0.72

Armenia

0.72

Lithuania

Romania

0.276

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

79.54

Kuwait

0.742

Gaza Strip

Armenia

0.72

Slovakia

0.72

Slovakia

Uruguay

0.288

Romania

79.46

Cyprus

0.739

Antigua and Barbuda

Slovakia

0.72

Botswana

0.72

Cambodia

Uzbekistan

0.288

106

Guatemala

79.39

Malaysia

0.738

Grenada

Botswana

0.72

Bulgaria

0.71

Oman

Costa Rica

0.288

Argentina

79.08

Fiji

0.738

United States

Bulgaria

0.71

Ukraine

0.71

Slovenia

Tunisia

0.296

Ukraine

78.86

Cape Verde

0.738

Lebanon

Ukraine

0.71

El Salvador

0.71

Jordan

Vietnam

0.296

117

Peru

78.86

Saudi Arabia

0.737

Malaysia

El Salvador

0.71

Uruguay

0.71

Ukraine

Cuba

Barbados

78.77

Chile

0.736

Costa Rica

Uruguay

0.71

Montenegro

0.71

Bangladesh

Oman

Colombia

78.72

Belarus

0.733

Iran

Montenegro

0.71

Malta

0.71

Tunisia

Turkey

0.306

Bosnia and Herzegovina

78.49

Kazakhstan

0.729

China

Malta

0.71

United Arab Emirates

0.71

Ecuador

Tajikistan

0.314

125

Bolivia

77.95

Trinidad and Tobago

0.721

Trinidad and Tobago

Un, Arab Em

0.54

Ethiopia

0.71

Latvia

Mongolia

0.322

Antigua and Barbuda

77.94

Maldives

0.72

Armenia

Ethiopia

0.71

Vietnam

0.71

Ghana

Mexico

0.322

Costa Rica

77.75

Peru

0.717

Georgia

Vietnam

0.71

Thailand

0.71

El Salvador

Azerbaijan

0.323

Bahamas

77.55

Nicaragua

0.717

Sri Lanka

Thailand

0.71

North Macedonia

0.71

Guatemala

Trin/Tobago

0.323

Kazakhstan

77.42

Oman

0.715

Thailand

N. Macedon.

0.60

Kenya

0.71

Zimbabwe

Argentina

0.328

Jamaica

77.35

Samoa

0.711

Uzbekistan

Kenya

0.71

Georgia

0.71

Azerjaiban

Georgia

0.331

Belarus

77.28

Jamaica

0.71

Syria

Georgia

0.71

Uganda

0.71

Cameroon

Bahamas

0.341

Trinidad and Tobago

77.22

Vietnam

0.707

Puerto Rico

Uganda

0.71

Italy

0.70

Algeria

Mauritius

0.347

Chile

77.16

Laos

0.704

Tunisia

Italy

0.70

Dominican Republic

0.70

Myanmar

Tonga

104

Paraguay

76.77

Israel

0.703

Fiji

Domin. Rep.

0.70

Mongolia

0.70

Honduras

Thailand

0.359

Venezuela

76.77

Qatar

0.703

Mongolia

0.70

Lesotho

0.70

Serbia

Samoa

0.360

111

Myanmar

76.76

China

0.7

Cuba

Lesotho

0.70

Israel

0.70

Uzbekistan

Maldives

0.369

Ecuador

76.56

Indonesia

0.7

Barbados

Israel

0.70

Kyrgyzstan

0.70

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

0.369

120

Mongolia

76.46

Bhutan

0.7

Azerbaijan

Kyrgyzstan

0.70

Zambia

0.70

Lebanon

Fiji

Guyana

76.46

Tonga

0.697

Jordan

Zambia

0.70

Bosnia and Herzegovina

0.70

Belarus

El Salvador

0.383

124

Maldives

76.32

Bolivia

0.696

Cabo Verde

Bosnia/Herz

0.70

Indonesia

0.70

Iran

Ecuador

0.384

Indonesia

75.66

Suriname

0.694

El Salvador

Indonesia

0.70

Romania

0.70

Peru

Vietnam

75.52

Puerto Rico

0.692

Brunei

Romania

0.70

Togo

0.70

Jamaica

0.396

101

Saudi Arabia

75.49

Paraguay

0.691

Argentina

Togo

0.70

Belize

0.70

Cape Verde

0.397

126

Malaysia

75.45

Tajikistan

0.69

Panama

Belize

0.70

Cambodia

0.69

Saint Lucia

0.401

Oman

75.11

South Africa

0.688

Kyrgyzstan

Cambodia

0.69

Paraguay

0.69

Sri Lanka

0.401

Sri Lanka

74.89

Jordan

0.679

Maldives

Paraguay

0.69

Cameroon

0.69

Rwanda

0.402

160

Laos

74.8

Mauritius

0.678

Samoa

Cameroon

0.69

Greece

0.69

South Africa

0.406

114

Cambodia

74.79

Uzbekistan

0.674

Mexico

Greece

0.69

Timor Leste

0.69

Panama

0.407

China

74.13

Kyrgyzstan

0.673

Bhutan

Timor Leste

0.69

Brunei

0.69

Brazil

Jordan

74.11

Tunisia

0.669

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Brunei

0.69

Azerbaijan

0.69

Lebanon

0.411

Kyrgyzstan

73.66

Azerbaijan

0.667

Ecuador

Azerbaijan

0.69

Hungary

0.69

Belize

110

Tajikistan

73.59

Dom. Rep.

0.666

Cyprus

Hungary

0.69

Mauritius

0.69

Bolivia

0.417

107

Nepal

73.21

Turkey

0.665

Peru

Mauritius

0.69

100

Ghana

0.69

Bhutan

0.421

129

United Arab Emirates

73.16

Timor Leste

0.664

Paraguay

Ghana

0.69

101

Czech Republic

0.69

Honduras

0.423

132

Uruguay

73.08

Solomon Is.

0.664

Morocco

Czech Rep.

0.69

102

Malaysia

0.68

Colombia

0.428

North Korea

73.05

Rwanda

0.663

Libya

Malaysia

0.68

103

Bhutan

0.68

Nicaragua

0.428

128

Suriname

72.95

Botswana

0.659

Honduras

Bhutan

0.68

104

South Korea

0.68

Algeria

0.429

Algeria

72.74

Belize

0.657

Brazil

South Korea

0.68

105

Senegal

0.68

Philippines

0.430

107

Sudan

72.57

Ecuador

0.655

Saint Lucia

Senegal

0.68

106

China

0.68

Suriname

0.436

Turkmenistan

72.33

Tanzania

0.652

Micronesia, Federated States of

China

0.68

107

Cyprus

0.68

Namibia

0.440

130

Qatar

72.03

Ghana

0.651

Colombia

Cyprus

0.68

108

Vanuatu

0.68

Paraguay

0.446

103

Uzbekistan

72.03

Sao Tome & Principe

0.648

Iraq

Vanuatu

0.68

109

Burkina Faso

0.68

Egypt

116

Mozambique

72.02

Egypt

0.645

Kiribati

Burkina Faso

0.68

110

Malawi

0.68

Jordan

0.450

102

Cameroon

71.38

Cambodia

0.645

Bahamas, The

Malawi

0.68

111

Tajikistan

0.67

Nepal

142

Kuwait

71.15

Nepal

0.644

Nicaragua

Tajikistan

0.67

112

Sierra Leone

0.67

Morocco

0.454

121

South Africa

71.01

Vanuatu

0.644

Philippines

Sierra Leone

0.67

113

Bahrain

0.67

Dom. Repub.

0.455

Mauritius

70.64

Morocco

0.637

Algeria

Bahrain

0.67

114

Comoros

0.66

Laos

137

Namibia

70.61

Brazil

0.63

Mauritius

Comoros

0.66

115

Sri Lanka

0.66

Iran

Seychelles

70.55

Venezuela

0.628

Vanuatu

Sri Lanka

0.66

116

Nepal

0.66

Guyana

0.462

122

Lebanon

70.36

Ukraine

0.626

Guatemala

Nepal

0.66

117

Guatemala

0.66

Botswana

0.465

100

Libya

70.31

Algeria

0.622

Suriname

Guatemala

0.66

118

Angola

0.66

Cambodia

0.474

144

Kenya

70.14

Senegal

0.619

Jamaica

Angola

0.66

119

Kuwait

0.65

Myanmar

0.478

147

Zimbabwe

69.43

Eq. Guinea

0.619

India

103

Kuwait

0.65

120

Gambia

0.65

Venezuela

0.479

113

DR Congo

69.18

Philippines

0.612

Korea, North

107

Gambia

0.65

121

Myanmar

0.65

Guatemala

0.479

127

Zambia

68.99

Honduras

0.61

Dominican Republic

107

Myanmar

0.65

122

Ivory Coast

0.65

Indonesia

0.480

107

Madagascar

68.96

Libya

0.61

Guyana

112

Ivory Coast

0.65

123

Fiji

0.65

Syria

151

Iraq

68.73

Namibia

0.61

Solomon Islands

122

Fiji

0.65

124

Maldives

0.65

India

131

Egypt

68.58

Lesotho

0.605

Bangladesh

123

Maldives

0.65

125

Japan

0.65

Burundi

0.504

185

Tunisia

68.5

Zimbabwe

0.604

Vietnam

124

Japan

0.65

126

Jordan

0.65

Ethiopia

0.517

173

Brunei

68.09

Angola

0.598

Laos

126

Jordan

0.65

127

India

0.64

Kenya

143

Tanzania

68.06

India

0.595

Tonga

126

India

0.64

128

Tunisia

0.64

Mozambique

0.523

181

Bahrain

67.65

Togo

0.595

Mozambique

127

Tunisia

0.64

129

Turkey

0.64

Gabon

0.525

119

Liberia

65.01

Lebanon

0.595

South Africa

127

Turkey

0.64

130

Nigeria

0.64

Zimbabwe

0.527

150

Nigeria

64.71

Bangladesh

0.593

Belize

130

Nigeria

0.64

131

Saudi Arabia

0.64

Senegal

0.533

168

Ghana

64.42

Gabon

0.593

Zambia

135

Saudi Arabia

0.64

132

Lebanon

0.63

0.535

159

Sierra Leone

63.84

Colombia

0.582

Sao Tome and Principe

146

Lebanon

0.63

133

Qatar

0.63

Angola

0.536

148

Benin

62.25

Mozambique

0.58

Pakistan

154

Qatar

0.63

134

Egypt

0.63

Sao Tome/Pr.

0.537

135

Iran

61.62

Gambia

0.575

Bolivia

161

Egypt

0.63

135

Niger

0.62

Bangladesh

0.537

133

Eritrea

60.96

Ivory Coast

0.573

Indonesia

173

Niger

0.62

136

Morocco

0.62

Ghana

0.538

138

Malawi

59.95

Guatemala

0.569

Nepal

174

Morocco

0.62

137

Guinea

0.62

Pakistan

0.538

154

Togo

58.23

Benin

0.566

Burma

179

Guinea

0.62

138

Benin

0.62

Zambia

0.539

146

Gabon

57.18

El Salvador

0.566

Yemen

183

Benin

0.62

139

Oman

0.61

Sudan

170

Burkina Faso

56.8

Iran

0.557

Botswana

186

Oman

0.61

140

DR Congo

0.61

Lesotho

0.553

165

South Sudan

53.41

Zambia

0.556

Papua New Guinea

192

DR Congo

0.61

141

Mali

0.60

Tanzania

0.556

163

Timor-Leste

52.4

Mexico

0.551

Timor-Leste

204

Mali

0.60

142

Pakistan

0.57

Cameroon

0.560

153

Senegal

51.26

Uganda

0.544

Equatorial Guinea

212

Pakistan

0.57

143

Iran

0.57

Malawi

0.565

174

Mauritania

49.43

Sierra Leone

0.543

Namibia

215

Iran

0.57

144

Algeria

0.57

Eswatini

0.567

138

Uganda

46.91

Guinea

0.539

Comoros

217

Algeria

0.57

145

Chad

0.57

Rep. Congo

0.570

149

Pakistan

44.81

Ethiopia

0.521

Cambodia

218

Chad

0.57

146

Afghanistan

0.41

Togo

167

Ethiopia

44.73

Malawi

0.521

Angola

222

Afghanistan

0.41

147

Iraq

123

Yemen

43.95

Comoros

0.519

Gabon

227

148

Burkina Faso

0.594

182

Angola

42.25

Kenya

0.511

Djibouti

234

149

Benin

158

Afghanistan

41.6

Mauritania

0.506

Tanzania

238

150

Gambia

0.612

172

Guinea-Bissau

40.95

Madagascar

0.505

Venezuela

259

151

D. R. Congo

0.617

175

Lesotho

38.56

Djibouti

0.504

Rwanda

259

152

Mauritania

0.634

157

Niger

23.56

Liberia

0.5

Senegal

261

153

Haiti

170

Syria

21.98

Papua NG

0.487

Ghana

263

154

Ivory Coast

0.638

162

Chad

19.3

Palestine

0.483

Burkina Faso

264

155

Niger

189

Somalia

14.68

Guin. Bissau

0.483

Ethiopia

267

156

Sierra Leone

0.644

182

Central African Republic

12.93

Pakistan

0.481

Sudan

270

157

Liberia

0.650

175

Mali

0.481

Congo, Republic of the

282

158

Afghanistan

0.655

169

Burk. Faso

0.481

Uganda

284

159

Mali

184

Cameroon

0.466

Eritrea

322

160

C. Afr. Rep.

0.680

188

Nigeria

0.465

Haiti

350

161

Chad

187

Chad

0.462

Zimbabwe

357

162

Papua N. G.

0.725

155

Sudan

0.46

Malawi

381

163

Yemen

0.795

179

Myanmar

0.451

Madagascar

392

164

Niger

0.442

Togo

399

165

Haiti

0.431

Eswatini

437

166

Iraq

0.424

Cameroon

438

167

Somalia

0.417

Mali

440

168

Eswatini

0.415

Niger

441

169

Syria

0.407

Sierra Leone

443

170

Burundi

0.394

Gambia, The

458

171

S. Sudan

0.388

Mauritania

465

172

DR Congo

0.384

Cote d'Ivoire

480

173

Cnt.. Af. Rep.

0.378

Burundi

494

174

Yemen

0.287

Benin

523

175

Afghanistan

0.286

Kenya

530

176

Congo, DR

547

177

Guinea

553

178

Lesotho

566

179

Afghanistan

620

180

Somalia

621

181

Liberia

652

182

Guinea-Bissau

725

183

C. Af. Repc

835

184

Nigeria

1,047

185

Chad

1,063

186

South Sudan

1,223

187

188