IntroductionThe Human Development Index (HDI) was designed “as a reference framework for social and economic development”. With this index, as well as other cumulative indices, the problem arises of the extent to which the index actually measures what it intends to measure; whether the data accurately represents the true reality of half the population, or whether it merely projects the general consensus of a population that is biased because the range of data is too broad. One index that might more accurately represent half of a country's population is the Gender Inequality Index (GII). The GII examines the differences between men and women within a country. The index includes the level of empowerment of each gender in a country, labor market participation and reproductive health values. Thanks to these subsections, the index can more precisely describe the situation of women in a country and the level of equality in that country. This brings me to my question: to what extent do the HDI and GII rankings in Ivory Coast and Finland accurately reflect the overall quality of life of women in these countries? Although the HDI shows general consensus about a country's situation, it does not show differences between men and women. The IGI therefore gives a more precise representation of the situation within a country; but the real indicator is the effectiveness of the legislature and government in this country, not the rankings given in a cumulative index. Despite the laws that protect women in Ivory Coast and Finland, the effectiveness of these laws is minimal and ignored in Ivory Coast compared to Finland where the laws are enforced and motivate women to be active within from government, which in turn harms overall quality. of life, it's a lot... middle of paper ...... United Nations International Children and Education Fund, March 15, 2010. Web. May 13, 2013. “Central Intelligence Agency.” The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency, July 10, 2013. Web. July 30, 2013. .Isiroglu, Gina. “Countries and their cultures”. Culture of Ivory Coast. Countries and their cultures, January 21, 2007. Web. July 30, 2013. .Parviainen, Seija. “Recent Trends and Future Prospects in Gender Equality.” Recent trends and future prospects in gender equality. Eiro, October 28, 2003. Web. October 7, 2013. “Ivory Coast”. Gender equality in. Social institutions and gender inequalities, 2012. Web. July 30 2013. .