What is the main motive for traveling? It is to get an incredibly enriching and transformative experience for sure. Traveling allows individuals to get to and learn about many beautiful places, immerse themselves in different cultures, and explore the world’s wonders. While traveling from place to place, one of the important things you should consider is safety. Especially for female travelers; the safety concern is highly influenced as a top priority.
While every place comes with certain risks and dangers, it is recommended to research and review the destination before embarking on a vacation or holiday. In this article, we will explore the most dangerous countries for female travelers, providing insights and recommendations to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey.
India
India has the largest population in the world, and still, it has many superstitious and traditional views on women. Besides, the country records the highest number of sexual assaults on girls. We have experienced many reports and news of even underaged girls kidnapped, raped, and killed in India. Indian men are often likelier to stalk and touch the girls they like, which has become one of the prominent social problems in India.
A 37 years old Muslim man was arrested for sexually harassing and blackmailing a girl for five years. Another case of sexual assault was reported when the police arrested a man who allegedly raped eight students, killed them, and threw their bodies in the river in Assam. One of the other cases was the 16 years old girl being gang raped by four people in northwest Delhi’s Shahbad Dairy area. These news are enough to state how sexually provocative Indian society is. So traveling here is the next trauma that you might experience.
While Indian girls are raped, stalked, and followed, foreign female travelers attract Indian men. No matter how modestly they dress, the problem will get to the surface. Even major cities like Delhi have an increasing number of such harassment cases. One of the most affected places is in the sleeper trains when females travel from one city to another for different purposes. There was one case of an Indian man who raped a 3 years old girl on a school bus in Bhopal.
Despite these facts, not all places in India are dangerous for female travelers. According to the statistics, Tamil Nadu is the safest place in India for female travelers to carry on their trips. The culture and tradition of Tamil Nadu offer values to women, while we don’t get many cultures in the North Indian region.
Colombia
Columbia is one of the most beautiful countries to travel. Places like Cartagena, Zona Cafetera, Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona, Medellín, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, La Guajira Peninsula, Cali, and many more are very famous in the country. Thousands of visitors from inside and outside the country reach these destinations for vacations, holidays, and other plans. But is it safe for female travelers to travel around Columbia? Let’s see.
First, Columbia recently got out of the civil war, which destroyed the country economically, politically, and physically. An accord was signed to keep the peace around the country right after the civil war ended; however, it has not come into action even if the accord must be respected. Due to this, U.S. Embassy officials have even restricted Columbia from their travel destination list since the intercity transit and border region can be very dangerous.
Another main thing to notice is that Columbia is one of the powerhouses of the drug dealing industry. With this, many crimes, assaults, and harassment stories go by. So traveling to this country must be kept in the pending process for going through such backgrounds. When it comes to female travelers, it can be more dangerous. There are minor and large cases, ranging from purse-and-phone snatching to robbery, kidnapping, trafficking, and murder. While most of the remote places in Columbia are dangerous to travel, city areas like Bogota and Cartagena are considered the safe place for female travelers. But many tourists visit Costa Rica, the neighboring country, to avoid any assault and incidents in Columbia.
Brazil
Brazil is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful countries in the world, as it owns most of its natural resources. It is the country with the most forest, water resources, and hydroelectricity. The largest jungle in the world, Amazon, lies in this country, where not only endangered plant and animal species live but also the human tribes that have never been exposed to the modern world.
While the city areas are considered the safe place to travel for female travelers, the night times can still be dangerous. As per reports, only 28% of women reported feeling safe while walking in the nighttime around the city and remote places. Another contributing factor is the country’s third-highest rate of intentional homicide against women. Similarly, 36.9% of women reported being physically and sexually violated by their intimate partners, ranking in the sixth position globally.
So imagine if you are a female traveler traveling to the affected places. You must be accompanied by local guides and acquaintances to help you get a pleasant trip to Brazil. Ensure you avoid walking in the nighttime and in the most affected areas and remote places.
South Africa
South Africa is often considered the most dangerous country for female travelers. Reports show that only 25% of South African women feel safe while traveling to South Africa at night. If you see the timeline, South Africa is not a strange place for sexual violence. It is sad to know that 40% of South African women will be raped in their lifetime, which is a very extreme sexual violation.
In addition, South Africa is considered and ranked in the top ranks for the intentional homicide of women. Reports say that the country was only the nation in the whole world to get the “F” on the index. Since these kinds of assault activities are prone in the nation, South Africa is not considered the best option for female travelers.
However, it does not mean that all the places in South Africa are dangerous to travel. Places like Cape Town, Kruger National Park, The Garden Route, Kgalagadi (Kalahari) Transfrontier Park, Stellenbosch, The Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, Pilanesberg National Park, and many others can be traveled with professional guides and company.
Mexico
Mexico comes in the following list as one of the most dangerous countries for female travelers. It is the country with high crime rates and drug deals in the world. It was ranked fourth in terms of women feeling safe during walking at night. Only 33% of women reported they feel safe while walking around Mexico at night. Reports suggest that around 16% of the total women population in Mexico experience non-partner sexual violence, which is very high, making the country the third list in the world. Iran is ahead of it with the most rate of non-partner sexual violence in the world.
Mexico also lags in social and economic similarities between men and women, and the social structure does not values women as it does for men. Recent news from Mexico surfaced on the internet as the 23 years old Roxana Ruiz got arrested for homicide with “excessive use of legitimate defense.” Reports cited that she was being raped by a man when she acted in her defense and killed the rapist. Her case has been lifted now, stating she killed her rapist in an act of defense.
Most remote places and even some developed regions in Mexico are harshly affected by sexual assault and harassment against women. But some places like Chichén Itzá, Monte Alban, San Miguel de Allende, Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Great Pyramid of Cholula, Uxmal, El Tajin, and others are worth visiting.
It is recommended to travel around Mexico with a partner and professional guides for your safety.
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