Horrific. The Christian Science Monitor reports:
The gang rape of a Swiss tourist while camping with her husband in India puts the international spotlight (again) on sexual violence against women in the South Asia nation.
The attack occurred Friday evening after the Swiss couple had stopped to camp in a forest. They were bicycling in the state of Madhya Pradesh on their way to see the Taj Mahal, in Agra. According to the Hindustan Times, the couple were returning from visiting the Ram Raja Temple, in Orchha.
A group of 7 or 8 men, according to various reports, attacked the couple. According to one report, the husband was held at gunpoint. Another report says the men were carrying sticks. Seven men attacked the couple in their tent and four of them raped the woman, Dilip Arya, deputy inspector general of police, told Reuters. They also stole their valuables.”
The Christian Science Monitor does not mention India’s sex-ratio problem. In Madhya Pradesh, where the rape occurred, there are only 930 females per 1,000 males. In Agra, where the couple was headed, the ratio is even worse: 859 females per 1000 males.
How bad is it for women in India? Well, it’s better than living in Afghanistan. Via the Wall Street Journal:
India ranks 132 out of 187 countries on the gender inequality index – lower than Pakistan (123), according to the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Report 2013.
The report said all countries in South Asia, with the exception of Afghanistan, were a better place for women than India, with Sri Lanka (75) topping them all. Nepal ranked 102nd and Bangladesh 111th.
And. . .
India ranks low partly because of its skewed sex ratio, with only 914 females every 1000 males, according to Indian government data. Indian families often prefer boys to girls, and female feticide is tragically common.