Living As a Woman Around the World

Living As a Woman Around the World

We all know women's rights differ from place to place, but we don't talk about it often enough. Here is how a woman lives in 4 different countries: Iceland, Egypt, U.S.A. and Mexico.

Iceland

Iceland's capital city, Reykja

This European country is recognized as the world leader in gender equality. Why? Because:

• It guarantees equal rights in regards to property
• It guarantees equality before the law
• Abortion is permitted:
• In case of risk of life
• To preserve mental health
• To preserve physical health
• In case of rape or incest
• In case of fetal impairement
• For social or economic reasons
• The laws to enforce the rights of pregnant women or women who have recently given birth are strict
• There is no discrimination is terms of laws towards unmarried women

But please keep in mind that, while it might be the best place to live as a woman, it's certainly not perfect.

Egypt

Egyptian landmark, Great
Sphinx of Giza

Egypt, unlike Iceland, is considered one of the worst countries to live in. here are just a few reasons:

• It has one of the highest percentage of girls, 91%, who have suffered from FGM, Female Genital Mutilation
• Its laws on harassement aren't loose, they're inexistent
• The only legal circumstance for abortion is to save the mother's life
• The law requires women to obey their husbands
• There are no laws against gender discrimination in hiring
• Equal pay for equal work isn't a right

U.S.A.

A lot of the debates on women's rights take place in the U.S.A. But, what is its situation in comparison to the world? Here are a few facts that help us situate America:

• Its laws permit abortion in any situation
• Maternity leave isn't obligatorily paid
• Men and women share the same property rights
• The constitution does not include an anti-discriminatory clause
• Its laws on domestic violence:
• Include sexual abuse
• Include physical abuse
• Include emotional abuse
• Include unmarried relationships
• Does not include financial abuse

So, while the country in heavily criticized, it does pretty well in relation to other countries.

Mexico

We don't pay much attention to what goes on regarding female empowerment in Latin American, so Mexico is here to illustrate the situation. Of course, however, Mexico doesn't represent Latin America as a whole, but for the most part, its situation doesn't differ immensely from the other countries'. That being said, here are some pointers on the circumstances of Mexico:

• Abortion in legal under any circumstances
• There are no laws against sexual harassment in public spaces
• The constitution doesn't discriminate against women 
• The laws against domestic violence are strict and complete

Conclusion

From place to place, across the world, women are affected by their countries legislation. Is there a perfect place to live? No, and there probably never will be.