Yeah, I was a bit surprised to not see, say, Sudan on that list. On the other hand, it’s not like they’re bad choices (except, say, India - it may suck to be a poor Indian woman but it doesn’t suck as violently as in other places.)
They must be using a very strange methodology. Look at it, I see they are. They’ve run an opinion poll of “experts”, and these are the results. Not, for example, seeing how many violent crimes take place against women in Afghanistan, but asking experts whether they think Afghanistan is the most violent-against-women place.
Are we looking for the place which is most dangerous for women, or the place with the greatest differential for dangers faced by women and men? Because Sudan, say, isn’t really dangerous for women, it’s just dangerous full stop.
I agree re: methodology there, but i suppose the so-called gender experts would have some kind of knowledge of those things. I’m not sure what that report actually ‘does’ for the world, though.
Pakistan is #3 because “Women earn a staggering 82 percent less than men.” Huh? How is that dangerous? Unfair, yes, but I’m not seeing the inherent danger in that statement. I’m guessing there are several African countries that I’m at more risk of violence in than Pakistan, or India (early marriage?) for that matter. They need to use a different word than “dangerous” if these are the criteria to make their list.
India made it because of the female sex slave industry, female infanticide, and child marriage. Sigh. Just when you think your mother country might be making some progress.
Is it for residence in or is visiting also included?
I know that [now I am gimpy] I would not go to countries that are currently at war like Afghanistan, or Somalia though I would do the tourist thing to middleastern countries that are not currently a war zone. I should amend that to read my husband and I would be willing to do the tourist thing. I would not travel alone as a single unaccompanied female in an islamic state. I would also probably wear at minimum salwar kameez and scarf - not to blend in, but to be dressed modestly.
I admit I do not understand the thought process of a woman who travels alone and dresses immodestly to a country where that can get you assaulted, jailed or even killed. And then has the balls to complain about how she was treated [or her survivors complain]
Yeah, we saw that all the time in India, white people being aghast at the idea of not wearing shorts or short skirts and then complaining because men were ogling them or harassing them. It’s not a pretty thing, but it exists, so it behooves you to dress modestly.
People were shocked that I totally changed my dress code when I went, too. I was already getting enough stares - they can tell in an instant if you’re a foreigner, even if you are Indian - and I didn’t feel like adding to it.
I wouldn’t go to Afghanistan or Somalia or even Sudan even if paid to do so. Not even with my other half - he’s not Indian or Middle Eastern.
What is appropriate wear? Surely outsiders don’t have to wear niqaab and abaya? Salwar kameez, if not cut too tightly, is a very modest outfit, and probably would have been my best guess, too.
Somalia and the Congo are good, and I guess India is good if Anaamika’s post is what they meant.
I’m almost thinking the little blurb has nothing to do with why they are on the list with the others. Otherwise, the other two choices smack of first world problem mentality.
Very odd, as the saudi I asked about what to wear said the salwar kameez I was wearing would be just fine. Of course, it is the long to the below the knees kameez, and the salwar are not tight, and it has a very nice matching scarf.
The writers are not helping their cause much when what I got for India was that many women marry “before they’re 18”. OK, so? Call me weird but I think it’s very different to marry at 17 someone close to you in age and to be married at 10 to someone old enough to be your grandfather who does things to you that you can’t even comprehend.
Well, that IS dangerous because if you can’t work for yourself, you’re much more likely to be completely at the mercy of a long term male partner. But I imagine that in a country where the only form of currency is second hand assault rifles, it’d be even worse.
Agreed on the wage dependency issue. Same for underage marriage.
Most of the indicators used are probably ones that have research relating to violence, eg lower average marriage age correlates to higher DV rates or the like. They cant investigate every country in detail so have to use more global indicators.