Worrying signs for women

Sandeep Gopalan
Pro Vice-Chancellor, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia

Is India the worst country in the world for women's safety? Really? Worse than Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria? Contrary to common sense, a new poll of "experts" released by Thomson Reuters claims that India is the world's most dangerous place for women. 

Although the methodology and conclusions are absurd, examination of other evidence about safety and rule of law shows that India should use the data for improvement.

For instance, the Gallup Global Law and Order Report 2018 ranks Singapore as the safest place on earth. Singapore is followed by Norway, Iceland, Finland, Uzbekistan, and Hong Kong. India ranks 29th. 

The Thomson Reuters study suffers from methodological errors. It relies on the view of 548 "experts" of unknown identity and expertise. Comparing the results with the ROLI and Gallup poll shows just how out of touch these experts are.

The Thomson Reuters poll result that the US is the 10th worst country in the world for women's safety defies common sense because of evidence about worldwide views about America. According to a Gallup poll in 2017, 147 million people in the world want to migrate to the US. Do so many people want to relocate to the 10th most dangerous place for women? And these millions include many from countries that are supposedly safer.

Similarly, India has over 3 lakh legal refugees. Some estimates put the number of illegal refugees at over 10 million. If India was truly the world's most dangerous country for women, why would refugees from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh etc, move to India? It would make more sense to stay where they are.

Therefore, the actions of people faced with danger speak louder than words. And it overwhelmingly redounds against the idea that India is the most dangerous country.

However, there are worrying signs in recent years. For instance, India's female labour participation rate (for women aged 15-64) has declined. The reasons for India's decline when the worldwide trend is in the opposite direction are unclear. It may indicate underlying declines in safety, wider trends in women's disempowerment, and changes in cultural norms.

To be sure, there is considerable room to improve women's rights and safety. There is growing reporting of crimes against women but that has not corresponded with greater investments in law enforcement and justice delivery. For instance, there are a mere 138 policemen per 1 lakh people in India, contrasted to 368 in South Africa and 207 in Nigeria. Unsurprisingly, crime investigation and prosecution rates are abysmal.

The justice system in India is also poor relative to other countries: the number of judges per 1 lakh population is far behind other countries. Court dockets are clogged with decades-long backlogs and access to justice is a severe challenge.

These factors no doubt contribute to India's poor ranking. India could learn from Singapore's significant investments in the rule of law. These investments have compensated for a lack of natural resources and enabled the country to become an economic superpower. A society that emphasises the rule of law and security for all individuals is a prerequisite for progress. If half the population is fearful of personal safety, their participation in pro-social activities is severely compromised. Moreover, Indian women's fears have real consequences on their health and mental wellbeing — placing additional burdens in terms of healthcare expenses.

Therefore, the Indian government must resist the temptation to attack the methodological failings of the Thomson Reuters report and undertake massive investments in the justice system and law enforcement machinery. Anything less is a national shame. It is not sufficient to have fundamental rights to life and liberty in the Constitution — Indian women must have a realistic ability to enjoy those rights without fearing for their lives every time they step outside their homes.