India has earned the dubious distinction of being the most dangerous place in the world for women, surpassing even countries like Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Syria.

The country has topped the list because of widespread sexual violence, retrograde cultural practices, and trafficking, according to a poll by the Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF).

In 2011, when a similar poll was last conducted, India ranked fourth, behind Afghanistan, Congo and Pakistan. This year, India is perched on the top, followed by Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia and Saudi Arabia. 

Between March 26 and May 04, TRF surveyed 548 experts on women’s issues across the globe, including academics, health workers, policy-makers and NGO workers, according to the report. The respondents were asked to consider the following parameters: healthcare, cultural traditions, discrimination, sexual violence, non-sexual violence and trafficking.

According to the survey report, women across India – from executives in gleaming corporate towers to those toiling behind closed doors of middle-class homes, in factories or farms – face the same dangers of sexual violence and harassment. 

The results of the poll come just a few months after two gruesome child rape cases captured national and international attention, underlining surging sexual violence against minors. Human trafficking though is the gravest issue that goes virtually unchecked.