Recently i was watching Barkha Dutt's show on NDTV regarding the recent brutal rape of a girl in Delhi, India by 6 men (one of whom is a juvenile). There was a discussion going on in the Miranda House, Delhi University and Honorable Chief Minister of Delhi, Ms. Sheila Dikhsit was the chief guest. Everyone was discussing about the reasons behind the increasing rate of rape in Delhi and what could be done about it.
One of the main concern of female students was that they want to go out in the middle of the night without any fear or concern about their safety and security. They want to feel safe no matter what is the location or time. They want stricter laws, more vigilant police, helplines where such eve teasing cases could be reported etc. etc.
So lets start by looking at the world's safest countries for women and the reason why they are safe ? I am considering here the G20 nations.
1. On top of the list its Canada because of its policies which promotes women's rights and the well-enforced laws against violence and exploitation makes Canada the best place of the G20.
2. On the second spot its Germany. The female head of the state gives a major boost to it.
3. On the third spot its United Kingdom. Free healthcare, good access to education and opportunities in business are some of the factors for better condition of women.
4. Then comes Australia. Laws and policies protect women's right and promote their freedom.
5. Then comes France. Free healthcare and favorable maternity leave policies are the reasons behind women safety and prosperity.
6. On the sixth spot its United States of America. Women have good access to education but suffer disproportionately from a lack of universal healthcare. Reproductive services are also being rolled back.
7. On the seventh spot its Japan. Women face an ingrained patriarchal culture. Many are taught that their contribution to the workforce ends when they have children.
8. On the eighth spot its Italy. Italy has made big strides but women still face discrimination in the workforce, including lower salaries and poor access to managerial positions.
9. Then comes Argentina. Women suffer from a lack of good healthcare and poor access to sexual and reproductive education and services, particularly outside Buenos Aires.
10. Then comes South Korea. Ingrained stereotypes and a patriarchal culture continue to restrict women’s freedoms and curtail advancement in public and private sectors.
11. On the eleventh spot its Brazil. Social and economic inequalities have a disproportionate impact on women due to their reproductive role and need for additional healthcare.
12. On the twelfth spot its Turkey. Violence, child marriage and domestic slavery remain huge problems in Turkey while a rise in political conservatism is curtailing freedoms.
13. Then comes Russia. Domestic violence and high rates of prostitution and human trafficking make Russia a difficult place to be a woman.
14. Then comes China. Foeticide and infanticide mean China has one of the highest male-to-female sex ratios at birth, resulting in huge gender imbalances.
15. On the fifteenth spot comes Mexico. Male chauvinism and deep social and economic inequalities that restrict women’s access to healthcare and other services put Mexico at 15.
16. On the sixteenth spot comes South Africa. Some of the highest rates of sexual and gender-based violence in the world blight a country where women are well represented in politics.
17. Then comes Indonesia. Violence, child marriage, sexual trafficking, harassment and exploitation make Indonesia dangerous for women while health services are poor.
18. Then comes Saudi Arabia. Women can’t drive and were only given the right to vote in 2011. They are well educated but most who have studied to tertiary level are unemployed.
19. And India comes last in G20 nations. Child marriage, foeticide and infanticide, sexual trafficking, domestic slave labour, domestic violence and high maternal mortality all make India worst of the G20.
So if we see closely the prosperity, safety, growth etc. of women does not only depend upon only the laws and their enforcement but also upon a variety of reasons like as follows:
1. Quality of health
2. Freedom from violence
3. Political participation
4. Workplace opportunities
5. Access to resources (i.e. education, property rights)
6. Freedom from trafficking and slavery
If India want's to become the safest nation for women then not only stricter laws and their enforcement is required but India needs to work on the quality of health, freedom from domestic violence, more political and business participation, better workplace opportunities, better access to resources (i.e. education, property rights etc.) and freedom from trafficking and slavery. Then only women of India or of any other nation for that matter will be able to go out without any fear in their minds. Then only India and the whole world can prosper and grow in the true sense.
References:
1. http://www.trust.org/trustlaw/news/special-coverage/g20women/
2. http://www.wikipedia.org/
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