This is the most dangerous country to be a woman, study claims

India is the most dangerous place to be a woman in the world, a study by the Thomson Reuters Foundations revealed.

The report was based on a survey of 550 experts on women’s issues who found that the country is the worst nation in terms of sexual violence against women, human trafficking for domestic work, forced labour, forced marriage and sexual slavery.

The poll was conducted between March and May with experts from Europe, Africa, the Americas, South East Asia, South Asia and the Pacific.

Respondents included aid professionals, academics, healthcare staff, non-government organisation workers, policy-makers, development specialists and social commentators.

India also ranked as the most dangerous for the risks women face from cultural and traditional practices, such as acid attacks, female genital mutilation, physical abuse and child marriage.

Government data shows that reported cases of crime against women rose by 83 per cent between 2007 and 2016, with four cases of rape reported every hour.

The country has made headlines several times in the past few years for a number of high profile sexual violence crimes against women. Earlier this year, eight Hindu men were accused of the gang rape of an eight-year-old Muslim girl.

In a separate case in April, in the town of Kotwali Nagar, a seven-year-old girl was raped and murdered during a wedding.

Thousands took to the streets in protest following the death of 16-year-old girl, who died after she was raped and burnt alive in her own home.

Manjunath Gangadhara, an official at the Karnataka state government, said:

India has shown utter disregard and disrespect for women…rape, marital rapes, sexual assault and harassment, female infanticide has gone unabated.

The world’s fastest growing economy and leader in space and technology is shamed for violence committed against women.

As seen in the chart above by Statista, the US also made the top 10...

The inclusion of the US as the 10^th most dangerous place in the world for women is a surprise for experts. The #MeToo and Time’s Up campaigns against sexual harassment and violence put the only western country on the list.

Dozens of actresses have come forward with accounts of sexual abuse at the hands of Hollywood executives. Disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein was indicted on rape and criminal sex act charges in May.

Cindy Southworth, executive vice president of the Washington-based National Network to End Domestic Violence, said:

People what to think income means you’re protected from misogyny, and sadly that’s not the case.

Of the top ten countries, nine were in Asia, Africa or the Middle East: Afghanistan was second, followed by Syria, Somalia, Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan was in sixth place, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Nigeria and then the USA in at tenth.

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