Belgium is great for mothers
Belgium is the tenth best country in the world to be a mother, according to the 16th edition of the ‘Mothers Index’, established by the NGO Save the Children.
Scandinavian countries lead the way. This year Norway takes over the lead from Finland, which moves down to second place. Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Australia and Belgium complete the top 10.
Canada just manages the top 20. France and the United Kingdom have to make do with 23rd and 24th place respectively. The United States come 33rd . Somalia remains, in line with last year, the worst country for mothers. Congo, the Central African Republic, Mali and Niger are also at the bottom of the list.
Each year Save the Children creates a ranking showing which countries offer the best conditions for mothers. This takes into account factors such as the level of health care and education, income and the social status of women.
According to the CEO Carolyn Miles the data confirms that a country's economic wellbeing is not the only factor making mothers happy. The way the country is run is also important. In the case of Norway “there is not only talk of prosperity but that prosperity is also invested in things such as mothers and children who are a great priority”.