Almost 6 years since Nirbhaya's death, global poll ranks India as most dangerous country for women

It's almost six years since the gruesome death of Nirbhaya in a cold night in New Delhi and the protests that followed, things have changed little on the ground for women in India.

According to a Thomson Reuters Foundation survey covering around 550 experts on women's issues, India ranks as the most dangerous nation for women, thanks to factors like sexual violence, human trafficking for domestic work and forced labour, forced marriage, sexual slavery and others.

The survey also found that India was also the most dangerous nation for cultural traditions that affect women owing to factors like acid attacks, female genital mutilation, child marriage, etc. India's rank has diminished in the last four years as it was defined as the fourth most dangerous country for women in the same survey undertaken seven years ago.

The next nine countries in terms of women's vulnerability in the top 10 are Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Nigeria and the United States.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced protest during his visit to the UK in the wake of rapes of two minors, including one eight-year-old in Kathua in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Government data showed that reported cases of crime against women in India rose by 83 per cent between 2007 and 2016, when four cases of rape were reported every hour, Reuters reported.

Under the survey, respondents were asked to name five members of the United Nations they felt were most dangerous for women and which country fared the worst in terms of healthcare, economic resources, sexual violence and harassment, etc., the report added.

The Reuters report also said that India's women and child development ministry did not comment on the issue.