Unsafe countries for women record fewer sexual violence cases
A woman protests in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, in 2019. The country topped in the list of nations where the violence is most reported, globally.
What you need to know:
- A study by SafetyDetectives indicates that a lower number of reported cases signifies women face greater barriers to reporting violence against them, or that this violence is normalised.
- South Africa topped in the list of countries where the violence is most reported, followed by Sweden and El Salvador.
Countries with less reported cases of sexual violence are more likely to be unsafe for women’s survival.
A study released by SafetyDetectives last month, indicates that a lower number of reported cases signifies women face greater barriers to reporting violence against them, or that this violence is normalised.
The group of cyber security experts and privacy researchers looked into the prevalence of murder of women, rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence between 2010 and 2020, to rate sexual violence crimes in 78 countries across the world.
Fifteen countries including Japan, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Italy, Greece, Egypt and China had the lowest number of reported crimes against women. But this isn’t good news.
Sexual violence
South Africa topped in the list of countries where the violence is most reported, followed by Sweden and El Salvador. It is in these countries that China or Japan, should perhaps benchmark to pick the best practices in encouraging reporting of sexual violence.
“Countries with the most reported crimes against women clearly have processes in place that make it possible for victims to report these crimes,” argue the SafetyDetectives.
“Those with the least number of reported crimes could probably stand to improve these processes.”
The research found inherent gender bias in the way the legal system in many countries has historically addressed these cases.
It exemplifies Russia where about 80 per cent of women convicted of murder acted in self-defence.
The country’s self-defence law puts a cap on using the mechanism in exceeding limits, and it is nearly impossible to prove that someone acted within those limits, the report says.
Legal precedents
“It is, therefore, essential for people who influence these systems – from lawyers and judges, to politicians and activists – to be aware of how certain regulations and legal precedents can affect women’s safety, both individually and collectively,” the researchers say.
While in China, India and United Arab Emirates marital rape is not explicitly addressed in the penal code, thus giving men the power to have non-consensual sex with a woman who is legally married to him.
“Even in countries where marital rape is technically a crime, it often goes unpunished. For example, many states in the US have legal loopholes that allow for exceptions in cases of spousal rape.”
