Three African Countries Among World's Worst for Women

Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria are on a list of the world's most dangerous countries for women. The poll of 550 global experts on women's right names India as the most dangerous country, due to the high risk of sexual violence and being forced into slave labour.. War-torn Afghanistan and Syria ranked second and third in the Thomson Reuters Foundation survey

Somalia was ranked as the fourth most dangerous country for women after coming fifth in the 2011 poll. The impoverished country has been mired in conflict since 1991. The United Nations has estimated about 6.2 million people in Somalia - half the population - need emergency aid, such as food, water and shelter, due to the conflict and unprecedented drought.

Democratic Republic of Congo was named as the seventh most dangerous country for women after coming second in the 2011 poll. The United Nations has warned that millions of people face hellish living conditions after years of factional bloodshed and lawlessness. About 4.3 million people have been displaced, with NGOs saying this year that women and children were being exposed to the "worst sexual abuse ever".

Nigeria was ranked as the ninth most dangerous country for women with human rights groups accusing the country’s military of torture, rape and killing civilians during its nine-year fight against Islamist insurgency Boko Haram. The conflict has killed more than 30,000 people and spawned one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

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