London: India is the world’s most dangerous country for women for the high risk of sexual violence and being forced into slave labour, as per a survey conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The survey, involving 550 experts on women’s issues, was conducted between March 26 and May 4, and released on Tuesday.
Afghanistan and Syria ranked second and third respectively, followed by Somalia and Saudi Arabia.
The poll was a repeat of a survey done in 2011 that found Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, India, and Somalia as the most dangerous countries for women.
As per the Government data, crime against women in India rose by 83 per cent between 2007 and 2016, with four cases of rape being reported every hour.
The survey asked respondents which five of the 193 United Nations member states they thought were most dangerous for women and which country was worst in terms of healthcare, economic resources, cultural or traditional practices, sexual violence and harassment, non-sexual violence and human trafficking.
India was ranked the most dangerous country for women in terms of human trafficking, including sex slavery and domestic servitude, and for customary practices such as forced marriage, stoning and female infanticide.