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What's the worst place in the world to live for women? Well, going by these Worst Places to Be a Woman maps, they all seem to be on the other side of the world. Overall the U.S. is a pretty good place for women. We do a good job of educating girls. Baby girls are cherished just as much as baby boys. And underage marriage (under 16) is illegal. Score, USA!
But when it comes to safety -- eek! Let's just say the U.S. is definitely not the safest place in the world for women.
We're kind of somewhere in the middle. Well, that whole map looks scary, actually. When it comes to "how vulnerable women are to various forms of physical assault, including murder, rape, and domestic violence" it's pretty much Western Europe and everyone else. Kind of makes me want to move to Spain.
Want a closer look at that safety question? According to Forbes, America's most dangerous cities for women in the U.S. are Memphis, TN; Battle Creek, MI; Lawton, OK; Pine Bluff, AK; Flint, MI; Redding, CA; Springfield, IL; Fairbanks, AK; Anchorage, AK; and Saginaw, MI.* (Michigan, what the hell?!?) This is based on FBI crime data on violent crimes and sexual assault per capita.
Wouldn't it be a luxury if we could all choose where we live based on the safety of the location? I would love to see the top 10 safest cities for women as well.
It makes me wonder about everything that goes into making a city safe or dangerous for women. Is it the economy? The weather? Is Alaska more dangerous because women are so outnumbered? I don't know, but I'm feeling nervous for the women in these cities now.
*Forbes has discovered some discrepancies in their numbers and are bustin' the calculators to figure it out. The infamy of most dangerous city may not belong to Saginaw after all.
Are you surprised that the U.S. isn't safer for women?
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