The Best and Worst Places to Be a Woman
Bangalore: Is there something that has not decayed in its relevance over the years, that is the concept of celebrating ‘International Women's Day’, which remains as important as it began 101 years ago. As the world wakes up on March 8, women can definitely celebrate the day having conquered those countless hardships, things that were off limits to them years ago – education, right to vote, careers etc. Yet, as they increasingly realize their potential, it is time to pause for a moment to give a thought to the fact that today’s girls are still learning from the media to see themselves as objects. The World Economic Forum reveals Eighty-five per cent of countries have improved conditions for women over the past six years; however, not much have been done in political and economical spheres. Inequality between men and women persists from London to Lahore, Oxfam says. Here is a list of The Independent on the best and worst places to be a woman today.
1. Best and Worst Place to be a Woman: Iceland
Having the greatest equality between men and women in all the terms - politics, economics, health, education – Iceland is said to be the best place to be a woman in the world. Targeted violence against women, dismal healthcare and poverty makes India one of the worst places to be a woman. Afghanistan is the most dangerous place due to its near total lack of social and economic rights.
2. Best Place to be a Politician: Rwanda
The only nation in the world, Rwanda has women constituting majority of parliamentarians. Women hold 45 out of 80 seats in the Rwandan parliament. India is at 99th position among 187 countries with just 10.8 percent of women representation in the Lok Sabha and 9 percent in the Rajya Sabha. The worst countries are from the Middle East such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen, Belize and Oman with no women presentation at all.
