India 4Th Worst Place For Women In World

[dalsingh101]

Afghanistan worst place in the world for women, but India in top five

Survey shows Congo, Pakistan and Somalia also fail females, with rape, poverty and infanticide rife.

Targeted violence against female public officials, dismal healthcare and desperate poverty make Afghanistan the world's most dangerous country in which to be born a woman, according to a global survey released on Wednesday.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Pakistan, India and Somalia feature in descending order after Afghanistan in the list of the five worst states, the poll among gender experts shows.

The appearance of India, a country rapidly developing into an economic super-power, was unexpected. It is ranked as extremely hazardous because of the subcontinent's high level of female infanticide and sex trafficking.

Others were less surprised to be on the list. Informed about her country's inclusion, Somalia's women's minister, Maryan Qasim, responded: "I thought Somalia would be first on the list, not fifth."

The survey has been compiled by the Thomson Reuters Foundation to mark the launch of a website, TrustLaw Woman, aimed at providing free legal advice for women's groups around the world.

High maternal mortality rates, limited access to doctors and a "near total lack of economic rights" render Afghanistan such a threat to its female inhabitants. "Continuing conflict, Nato airstrikes and cultural practices combine to make Afghanistan a very dangerous place for women," said Antonella Notari, head of Women Change Makers, a group that supports women social entrepreneurs around the world.

"Women who do attempt to speak out or take on public roles that challenge ingrained gender stereotypes of what is acceptable for women to do or not, such as working as policewomen or news broadcasters, are often intimidated or killed."

The "staggering levels of sexual violence" in the lawless east of the DRC account for its second place in the list. One recent US study claimed that more than 400,000 women are raped there each year. The UN has called Congo the rape capital of the world.

"Rights activists say militia groups and soldiers target all ages, including girls as young as three and elderly women," the survey reports, "They are gang raped, raped with bayonets and some have guns shot into their vaginas."

Pakistan is ranked third on the basis of cultural, tribal and religious practices harmful to women. "These include acid attacks, child and forced marriage and punishment or retribution by stoning or other physical abuse," the poll finds.

Divya Bajpai, reproductive health adviser at the International HIV/Aids Alliance, added: "Pakistan has some of the highest rates of dowry murder, so-called honour killings and early marriage." According to Pakistan's human rights commission, as many as 1,000 women and girls die in honour killings annually.

India is the fourth most dangerous country. "India's central bureau of investigation estimated that in 2009 about 90% of trafficking took place within the country and that there were some 3 million prostitutes, of which about 40% were children," the survey found.

Forced marriage and forced labour trafficking add to the dangers for women. "Up to 50 million girls are thought to be 'missing' over the past century due to female infanticide and foeticide,", the UN population fund says, because parents prefer to have young boys rather than girls.

Somalia, a state in political disintegration, suffers high levels of maternal mortality, rape, female genital mutilation and limited access to education and healthcare.

Qasim added: "The most dangerous thing a woman in Somalia can do is to become pregnant. When a woman becomes pregnant her life is 50-50 because there is no antenatal care at all. There are no hospitals, no healthcare, no nothing.

"Add to that the rape cases that happen on a daily basis, and female genital mutilation being done to every single girl in Somalia. Add to that famine and drought. Add to that the fighting [which means] you can die any minute, any day."

Monique Villa, the chief executive of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, said: "Hidden dangers – like a lack of education or terrible access to healthcare – are as deadly, if not more so, than physical dangers like rape and murder which usually grab the headlines.

"In Afghanistan, for instance, women have a one in 11 chance of dying in childbirth. In the top five countries, basic human rights are systematically denied to women.

"Empowering women tackles the very roots of poverty. In the developing world when a woman works, her children are better fed and better educated because they spend their money for their family."

The survey was based on responses from more than 200 aid professionals, academics, health workers, policymakers, journalists and development specialists chosen for their expertise in gender issues.

Each country was also ranked in terms of six risk factors including: health, discrimination and lack of access to resources, cultural and religious practices, sexual violence, human trafficking and conflict-related violence.

In terms of individual risk categories, Afghanistan was deemed to be the most dangerous for health, economic/discrimination and non-sexual violence; the Congo is most plagued by rape and sexual violence; and India has most problems with trafficking.

"You have to look at all the dangers to women, all the risks women and girls face," said Elisabeth Roesch, who works on gender-based violence for the International Rescue Committee in Washington.

"If a woman can't access healthcare because her healthcare isn't prioritised, that can be a very dangerous situation as well."

The TrustLaw website has been in existence for some time, linking up local NGOs and social entrepreneurs with established law firms who are prepared to offer legal advice on a pro-bono basis. The groups are vetted by Transparency International.

More than 450 law firms are already involved including some from China. Among those that have recently benefited have been the charity Riders for Health, which delivers medicine to remote villages, and reviewed its contracts in Nigeria.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/15/worst-place-women-afghanistan-india

Edited June 15, 2011 by dalsingh101

[kdsingh80]

Yet India is a place which was ruled by woman for 18 years 1966 to 1984 and now ruled by super PM Sonia Gandhi

from 7 years .The 3 most powerful states in India Uttar pradesh,West bengal ,Tamil Nadu and even Delhi are ruled by women .

I think the feminist myth that if woman will be in power then the condition of women will improve is proving wrong

[Mithar]

This is shocking. India has 4 million prostitutes, 40% are children!

[G.Kaur]

This is shocking. India has 4 million prostitutes, 40% are children!

How sad! I would have thought the percentage of children prostitutes were higher.

[chatanga1]

im surprised at this as well. if indians didnt kill so many female foetus' then maybe it would be something different. there are these issues all over the world, but india does have a lot of prostitutes, Mumbai is the biggest city for pro's in the world, but with india's pro's they kind of pass on this occupation to their children, so its like a family trade.

poverty is the issue, but countries need to get their priorities right for their own people rather than wondering what the joneses are up to. why india needs a space program at this time when it has 4 million pro's is beyond me.

[G.Kaur]

The sad thing is, that some people are born into prostitution. I watched a documentary many years ago about the Badi caste from Nepal. I don't know if it's also in India, but read this:

http://www.advocacynet.org/page/badi

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/11/international/asia/11MUDA.html

Video:

Edited June 16, 2011 by G.Kaur

[kdsingh80]

Why not just legalise prostitution ,when these days all kind of relations are being accepted then Why to punish a man or woman for just using his body to earn money

[G.Kaur]

Why not just legalise prostitution ,when these days all kind of relations are being accepted then Why to punish a man or woman for just using his body to earn money

Because more than 95% of all prostitutes (men and women) are forced into prostitution, it's a modern day form of slavery. They don't have a choice, either they are victims of human trafficking or they are in debt and forced to sell their bodies.

[dalsingh101]

Because more than 95% of all prostitutes (men and women) are forced into prostitution, it's a modern day form of slavery.

Do the other 5% do it for enjoyment? I tell you what though, eastern Europe must be as bad or even worse than India. The amount of hookers from there in the UK is massive. I don't think they have pimps either, they are doing it 'freelance' (pardon the pun). There are all over the place in London.

Edited June 16, 2011 by dalsingh101

[G.Kaur]

It was an article I read that 95% are forced into it and the rest are doing it to help men?

[kdsingh80]

Because more than 95% of all prostitutes (men and women) are forced into prostitution, it's a modern day form of slavery. They don't have a choice, either they are victims of human trafficking or they are in debt and forced to sell their bodies.

80-90% Indians don't have choice .They do whatever work is available .Just come to India and You can easily see 7-10 year old boys working at puncture shops,dhaba's mechanics and even working as servants in Rich people home. do you think these children have choice .If prostitution is legalised then these women will be in much better condition atleast there will be minimum age requirement ,healthcare and many benefit

[dalsingh101]

From what I've seen in Holland legalising pros and soft drugs seems to be a positive thing for society. Seems to be less gang related crime there.

[kdsingh80]

We should also not forget that if there is direct prostitution then there is large scale indirect prostitution too.So many Girls these day make rich BFs who satisfy their materialistics desires and in return they render sexual service to them.My cousin studied in Christian missionary convent school.As the girls reached 15-16 the environment of school became very bad.The school was situated in rich area and many girls had Bfs from rich families.This even impacted my cousin sister who openly started talking about sex.She even told me that only 3-4 Girls in her class were left virgin and most of them engaged in pre marital sex.As the school was christian missionary schoool so the 50% Girls were from poor Christian background and very few of them were from well to do families.

I think if prostituion is legalised then many girls will choose it for materialistic lifestyle and easy money

Edited June 16, 2011 by kdsingh80

[chatanga1]

Because more than 95% of all prostitutes (men and women) are forced into prostitution, it's a modern day form of slavery. They don't have a choice, either they are victims of human trafficking or they are in debt and forced to sell their bodies.

yes, also in the uk, there are a lot of drug addicts who turn to prostitution to fund their habit.

the 5% are probably those who are at the higher scale of the market, the ones who make bucketloads of money in one night type. probably the ones that service rich arabs and so on. There was a documentary on how English girls were going to Dubai to work as pro's for a month at a time, for rich arabs, who were giving them crazy money and gifts. The kind of money they would rarely see here.