Ranking Women’s Well-Being across Countries: A Comparative Analysis Using Preference Selection Index and Artificial Neural Networks

Abstract

One of the most fundamental indicators of a society's level of development is the achievement of gender equality. In countries where equality has been achieved, women's welfare levels have been found to be higher than in other countries. In this study, 12 European countries were evaluated by comparing socio-economic variables specific to women. Given the multidimensional nature of women’s well-being, the Preference Selection Index (PSI) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) methods, which are among the multi-criteria decision-making methods, were used in this ranking process. ANN models were tested in four configurations that varied in weights (equal and factor-based) and target ranking (PSI-based and random) approaches. The resulting country orders were compared. The consistency of ANN generated rankings with the PSI method was evaluated using Spearman rank correlation coefficients. As a result, it can be stated that the PSI method is a reliable criterion for assessing women's well-being across countries, and that the ANN model using factor analysis-based weighting yields the closest outcomes to PSI. These results provide a comparative basis that can support broader discussions on women’s well-being and evaluations across countries, such as policy considerations aimed at improving socio-economic conditions for women.