The PRIO Centre on Gender, Peace and Security and the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) are convening the Oslo launch of the fifth edition of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Index.
The 2025/2026 edition of the WPS Index ranks 181 countries. It shows that Denmark continues to lead the ranking, while Afghanistan again performs the worst. It also shows that global progress on women’s wellbeing has largely stalled, with women around the world facing unprecedented challenges as conflict and insecurity increase. An estimated 676 million women were exposed to conflict in 2024, marking a sharp rise in conflict exposure since 2010 and underscoring how violence and instability continue to undermine women’s safety and opportunities. Yet, there is hope.
At this event Haleema Hasana, manager of the Index project at GIWPS, will present the Index rankings, show trends by region, across indicators, and over time, while also exploring how the Index can serve as a critical tool for policymakers, practitioners, and activists alike. Siri Aas Rustad, the WPS Index Project Leader at the PRIO GPS Centre, will brief participants on the high number of women globally who are now living in proximity to conflict. She will also take a closer look at what the Index can tell us about Ukraine, demonstrating the ways in which the different Index dimensions – inclusion, justice, and security – are affected by ongoing conflict.
Comments to the introductions will be provided by Anna Chebotarova and Jorun Nossum, followed by a panel conversation chaired by Torunn L. Tryggestad.
Speakers
- Torunn L. Tryggestad, Director, PRIO Centre on Gender, Peace and Security Centre
- Haleema Hasan, Research Manager for the Women, Peace and Security Index, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and Lead Author of the Women, Peace and Security Index
- Siri Aas Rustad, Research Director and WPS Index Project Leader, PRIO
- Other speakers - to be confirmed
A light breakfast will be served.
Copies of both the summary and the full report will be available at the event.
