Women’s safety and international travel risks appraised
Ahead of International Women’s Day, Healix has evaluated the progression and regression of women’s rights in 2024
The landscape for women’s safety risks and rights continues to change. According to a recent study by global travel risk manager Healix, in many parts of the world, the change is still predominantly negative. In fact, in September 2023, the United Nations stated that the world is failing girls and women as there is a constant shortfall in achieving gender equality.
Ahead of International Women’s Day 2024, and to help organisations keep their female employees safe while travelling overseas, Healix has compiled a list of the countries that have seen progression in their stance on women’s rights and safety, and the countries where those rights have deteriorated.
Regression
Femicide is on the rise in countries such as Austria, India, Somalia, and Italy, putting female travellers at risk, reported Healix. In Vienna earlier this year, five women were killed by men in the span of 24 hours. In India, femicide is considered an epidemic, as women are often killed by their partners or by their families. There have been protests erupting in Somalia as femicide rates rise exponentially. In Italy, there were over 100 femicide victims in 2023 who were either killed by their partners or through a random attack.
The US has been in the spotlight this year as new legislations are being proposed that compromise women’s reproductive rights and may impact on their safety. Most recently the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos should be considered children, which will infringe on a woman’s right to undergo IVF treatment. Women’s reproductive care is also not widely available in many states, which continues to put women at risk, said Healix.
El Salvador has fully criminalised abortion and currently has one of the highest femicide rates in the world. Women travelling to El Salvador should be on high alert and always remain in a group.
Middle East and North Africa (MENA) states such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon still restrict women’s right to movement as many women require permission from a man, or a male escort, to leave the house. Some countries in the region do not allow women to obtain a passport or travel abroad freely.
Iran continues to enforce punitive measures against women who defy compulsory hijab laws and businesses that do not enforce them on their premises. Female travellers should be aware of these laws and follow them accordingly if spending time in Iran.
Attacks on women within the UK are increasing, according to Healix. Female travellers should exercise caution if travelling alone, especially at night.
Progression
Australia has increased support for women’s rights globally and continues to be a safe place for women.
Brazil’s supreme court is one step closer to decriminalising abortion, which Healix described as “a major move in the right direction for achieving equality and equity within Brazil”.
The European Union has advanced on ratifying a treaty to end violence and harassment at work. The treaty lays out international legal standards for preventing and responding to violence and harassment in the workplace, which Healix said would ensure a safer working environment for women.
In 2023, a survey commissioned by World Travel Protection found that seven in 10 female business travellers said travelling for work as a woman was less safe than travelling as a man.