New policy insights for wicked social problems:

For the last decade The Reykjavik Index for leadership has researched the perceptions of many thousands of citizens around the world to explore how they perceive women and men in terms of their suitability for leadership. In partnership with the Reykjavik Global Forum, this work has become a globally renounced authoritative Index that has measured the changing equity heuristic across the G7. Now for the first time, the 2026 programme will include new research to understand social perceptions of issues to do with gendered violence and their relationship to wider social trends.

Join us for the first presentations of the 2026 Reykjavik Index, on 8th December 2026 in Paris where we will provide critical insights into this critically important area of focus for international policy makers.

During the discussion we will be considering:

• Is the recent decline in the acceptance of female leadership still underway — or are we witnessing signs of stabilization or reversal?
• Which countries are emerging as accelerators of change, and which are falling behind?
• And within societies themselves, which groups stand out as the most distinctive in their attitudes?
• Are the trends observed among younger men — who in recent years have appeared less progressive on gender equality than previous generations — continuing, deepening, or shifting?
• And crucially, are there meaningful correlations between perceptions of female leadership and societal attitudes towards gender-based violence?

Chair: Dr Michelle Harrison
With panellists and guests