We already know that the ‘wanderlust gene’ is real, and that some 20% of the population is affected by this inherent desire – nay, need – to travel.

If you’re one of them, though, and you’ve got a hankering to spread your wings and start a new career overseas, there’s a lot to consider first. From taxes, to wages, to the work-life balance on offer, you need to do a lot of research before picking out your new home.

And pretty high on that list might be your destination’s attitude to gender equality. Fortunately for you, though, the top countries in the world for this particular attribute have just been named – and Europe, as a continent, came out on top.

Now, a new study has taken the study further. They have examined every European country in depth, and analysed them according to 12 measurable factors, including pay gap, tampon tax rates, access to contraception, employment rate, percentage of women in government, female life expectancy, and more.

Overall, the results put Germany at the top of the list, thanks to its high volume of female billionaires, percentage of young women in secondary education, high female life expectancy and excellent paternal leave allowance. Germany was followed closely by Norway, France and Iceland.

However, it is worth noting that Portugal, France and Belgium boasted the highest contraception scores – and the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom ruled supreme when it came to countries with the lowest tampon tax.

The top 10 European countries for women

1. Germany
2. Norway
3. France
4. Iceland
5. Sweden
6. Finland
7. Republic of Ireland
8. United Kingdom
9. Netherlands
10. Slovenia

“While much of the continent, especially the Scandinavian countries, have been working towards gender equality for a long while, some have only made big steps in recent years,” explained researchers, noting that women in Portugal only won equal voting rights in 1976 and abortion was only made legal in the Republic of Ireland last year.

It is worth noting that Portugal, France and Belgium boasted the highest contraception scores. And, in terms of having the lowest tampon tax, it was our very own Republic of Ireland and United Kingdom.

Check it out:

The 5 Countries With The Highest Tampon Tax:

• Hungary - 27%
• Norway - 25%
• Sweden - 25%
• Denmark - 25%
• Croatia - 25%

The 5 Countries With The Lowest Tampon Tax:

• Republic of Ireland - 0%
• United Kingdom - 5 %
• France - 5.5%
• Netherlands - 6%
• Belgium - 6%

Still not sure which European country is best for you and your needs? You can check out the data in full here.

Happy travels!

Image: Mikail Duran/Unsplash