What is meant by the Hadith: "The best rows for men are the first ones, and the worst ones are the last ones; and the best rows for women are the last ones, and the worst ones are the first ones"? And does it apply to mosques and women's prayer areas nowadays?

This hadith was narrated by Muslim and the compilers of the Sunan. Imam Al-Nawawi explained it by saying that for men, the best rows are the front ones and the worst are the back ones, always. As for women's rows, if they pray with men, then their best rows are the back ones and their worst are the front ones; this is to keep them away from mixing with men and seeing them. However, if women pray separately from men, then they are like men: their best rows are the front ones and their worst are the back ones. The meaning of "worst rows" is those with the least reward and فضلاً (virtue), while "best rows" is the opposite. Therefore, if women pray alone, their best rows are the front ones and their worst are the back ones, just like men.