South Africa Voted One Of 10 Dangerous Holiday Destination For Women

UK publication Daily Mail and its travel experts compiled a list of top 10 countries they have tagged as "the most dangerous holiday destinations for women.”. Mzansi made the list. 

I was willing to give this poll a chance until I read that countries make the list based on the possibility that women MAY BE exposed to misogyny, pestering, and in some cases, danger.

Wait, MISOGYNY? Shouldn't the US be at the top of the list for that? Or is it ok to call women whores and bitches as long as it is a song or a flashy music video. 

Pestering? Women get far more respect in that regard in South Africa than in some western countries. Our culture institutes that. Men in SA would not publicly or openly harass a woman without scorn. As a South African citizen I have never actually witnessed such acts though I have read of some instances — which just goes to show how isolated such occurrences are. 

DANGER, yes because of the high level of crime in South Africa, women are the most vulnerable but for a tourist any incident of physical harm is very unlikely. Have there been incidents where tourist have been attacked and caused physical harm? Absolutely, but it's not like tourist women are kidnapped or gunned down every month in this country.

#Justsaying

Anyway, here are the top 10 list of destinations and a summary of the reasons why experts advise women traveling alone to visit with caution:

1. India

Daily Mail states that gang rapes of women and tourists in India have reached alarming levels. According to the report, “a sexual assault is reported every twenty minutes.”

2. Brazil

According to the publication, “rape, gender-based violence and gunpoint robberies of tourists remain a problem.” Also, rape reportedly increased by 157 percent between 2009 and 2012, spurred the country’s machismo culture.

3. Turkey

Violence against women is rampant in Turkey, and it remains a taboo subject in the country.

4. Thailand

The article cites a report by Thailand Domestic Violence Information Center, which states that “violence against women is a growing problem in Thailand, fueled, in part, by the widespread availability recreational drug Yah Bah as well as alcohol.”

5. Egypt

In the aftermath of the 2011 revolution, the country continues to experience instability, and a sharp rise in sexual violence against women.

6. Colombia

The experts state that corrupt police do a poor job when it comes to protecting women, and that rapists are seldom brought to justice

7. South Africa 

Despite its popularity as a great tourism destination, the publication’s travel experts state that South Africa’s remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world. According to the report, “… the African nation has one of the highest rates of rape and sexual assault, and robberies at gunpoint are commonplace.More than 66,000 sexual offenses were reported in 2012-2013, a rate of 127 sexual offenses per 100,000 population.”

8. Morocco

Morocco is described as not having a great record when it comes to women’s rights.

“Female travellers are advised to dress modestly and cover up in the conservative Muslim country. Although the Foreign Office advises that violent crime isn’t currently major issue, it’s common for female tourists, particularly those travelling on their own, to be routinely harassed by men.”

9. Mexico

According to the report, utter lawlessness is prevalent in parts of Mexico.

“While the Mexican government does strive to protect tourist hotspots, such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta, reports of gun crime and violence still persist.”

Also, violent rapes against women traveling via public transportation, is a big threat.

10. Kenya 

Although Kenya has a thriving tourist trade due to its wide array of safari parks and wildlife, violence against women still remains a pressing problem, according to the report. “Women of all ages, education levels, and social groups, in rural and urban settings are subjected to violence in Kenya.”

UPDATE: Boy was I wrong ... It's May 2017 and I have to be honest, I am ashamed to admit that perhaps the researchers for this list saw something 2 years ago that I and many South Africans were blind to. 

The appalling reports coming out these past few weeks about women being murdered and raped have opened all of us to a new reality that in deed our women are not safe in this country.