An internationally acclaimed organization, Fairfax, has surveyed countries in all corners of the globe in terms of how safe and secure they are for the existence of the fairer sex – women – and came up with interesting results. Three African countries – Somalia, DR Congo and Nigeria – scored poorly in the result. They rank in the group of ten most dangerous countries for women to live in, in the globe.
Somalia is ranked as the third most dangerous country for women in terms of access to healthcare and for putting them at risk of harmful cultural and traditional practices, with little or no access to economic resources.
DR Congo is listed as the seventh on the ladder with the UN warning that millions of people face “hellish living conditions” after years of factional bloodshed and lawlessness. In addition, Somalia is ranked as the second most dangerous country for women as regards sexual violence.
Nigeria is ranked as ninth, with human rights groups accusing the country’s military of torture, rape and killing civilians in its nine-year fight against Boko Haram militants. Nigeria is ranked fourth most dangerous country in terms of human trafficking. It is ranked the sixth worst country on the risks women face from traditional practices.
Now, the great surprise. The organization ranks the US, the only Western nation in the Top 10 for the risks women face in terms of sexual violence, including rape, sexual harassment, coercion into sex and a lack of access to justice in rape cases. The survey came after the #MeToo campaign went viral with thousands of women using the social media movement to share stories of sexual harassment or abuse.
