The Gender Equality and Governance Index (GEGI) report for 2024 reviews both the progress, and setbacks, that women worldwide have faced over the past two years and since the publication of the last report. European countries under a democratic form of governance – such as Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain – still top the list. However, women continue to struggle to make headway in countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Mauritania, and Qatar. Regionally, the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia have lower scores in 2024 whereas North America, Europe and Central Asia are doing better in giving women more rights and freedoms. Among others, the GEGI examined their position in leadership and legislatures; whether they have equal rights to education, property, and credit; whether they receive equal pay for equal work; and whether domestic violence laws exist or are enforced. Globally speaking, and according to the United Nations, almost one in three women are “subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both, at least once in their life.” Some countries, such as Indonesia, are putting more laws on the books, but some one-third of women worldwide are still suffering from such abuse. This grim statistic is a long-standing one with little improvement, even in top scoring countries like Belgium. The theme of this year’s report focuses not only on how such violence impacts women across countries, particularly in times of war, but also how women are poised to be at the vanguard of stopping such atrocities. Women, say international advocates, have a critical role to play in peace processes locally, nationally, and globally. Sustainable peace is also far more likely to be achieved when women have a seat at the table.