India has emerged as the most dangerous country in the world for women, according to a new survey by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The survey is a repeat of a similar one conducted by the Foundation in 2011, which then rated India as the fourth most dangerous country for women, after Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Pakistan.
The survey is not going over well with either the Indian government or field experts.
From India's capital of New Delhi to the country's numerous small towns and villages, millions of women may be living in danger. But the Indian government insists the findings, based on a survey of 548 experts across the globe, is deeply flawed.
Of the survey's six major categories, India fared the worst in three: sexual violence, human trafficking, and culture and religion.
Recent cases such as the gang rape of a little girl in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, have badly damaged India's reputation. But some Indian social scientists argue that rape and sexual harassment are not exclusive to India.
The Thomson Reuters Foundation acknowledges the poll is based only on the perceptions of social scientists and experts, and is not backed by hard data. But others say instead of being angry over the survey's findings, perhaps India should take a long, hard look at why its reputation has suffered when it comes to the safety of women.
汤森路透基金会的最新评估报告显示，印度是全世界对妇女最危险的国家。该基金会2011年的类似评估结果显示，印度排在阿富汗、刚果和巴基斯坦之后，是全世界对女性第四危险的国家。
印度政府和一些在实地工作的专家都对这项评估结果表示不能认同。
汤森路透基金会的评估报告说，从首都新德里到无数的小镇和乡村，数以百万计的妇女可能生活在危险之中。 但是印度政府坚持认为，基于对全球548名专家所作的访问所得出的这项评估结果存在严重错误。
在调查涉及的六个主要项目中，印度在性暴力、贩运人口、文化与宗教等三个项目中评分最差。
最近发生的一些事件，比如在查谟和克什米尔省发生的轮奸一名女童的事件，极大地损害了印度的声誉。但是印度一些社会学家说，强奸和性骚扰不只在印度发生。
汤森路透基金会承认，这项调查只是基于社会科学家和有关专家的印象，并非基于实际数据。但是一些人认为，与其对这项调查表示愤怒，印度应该好好反省，在妇女安全问题上为什么它的声誉不佳。