Rwanda has been ranked as the second safest country for solo female travellers, thanks to its warm friendly hospitality and commitment to women's inclusion and safety. The ranking was revealed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on April 3, after consulting with Georgetown University's Women's Peace and Security Index, the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap report, and the Institute for Economics and Peace Global Peace Index.
The BBC also talked to women who have travelled alone to top-ranking countries to understand what made them feel safe, hear their own travel tips, and find out the best things to see and do as a solo adventurer.
With more than 60 per cent of its parliament made up of women representatives, Rwanda ranks number one in the world for gender equality in parliament, according to the Women's Peace and Security Index. It also ranks highly in the index's perception of community safety and is ranked sixth in the world in the Global Gender Gap index, which measures how equitable a country is in terms of economics, education, healthcare, and political participation.
The government has been maintaining that women are a formidable force powering Rwanda's development and transformation journey.
Despite the growing trend in solo travel, women still encounter unique challenges when they venture abroad alone. While everywhere in the world should be safe for women to travel, the reality is that women still face discrimination and safety concerns in every part of the world.
That said, many countries have put a concerted effort into improving safety for women and measuring attitudes that female residents have towards safety in their country.
In addition to Rwanda, the BBC Travel article also mentioned other countries that made it to the top of the list.
These include Slovenia, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Norway. The top 5 countries globally share several common factors, such as women's financial inclusion, absence of legal discrimination, women's community safety, low rates of violent crime, and a low number of external or internal conflicts.
They also have walkable cities at night, which makes it easier for women to explore and feel safe while doing so. These countries have put a concerted effort into improving safety for women, and it shows in their high rankings.
