Women much more at risk than men

Data just released by Gallup suggests that almost half the women in Portugal do not feel safe walking alone at night even in the vicinity of their homes.

Fewer than a quarter of men in Portugal feel unsafe in similar circumstances. Portugal thus has one of the highest gender gaps in the world in this regard.

The question posed by Gallup’s polsters: “In the city or area where you live, do you feel safe walking  alone at night or not?”

In New Zealand, only 50% of women said yes, compared to 85% of men. The gap: 35%

In the United States, 62% of women felt safe against 89% of men, showing a gap of  27%.

In Portugal the figures of 51% for women and 76% for men revealed a gap of 25% - on a par with Ireland, but worse than in the Yemen, Estonia or Slovakia.

New Zealand topped the gender gap; Portugal was equal 12^th.

Worldwide, including many poor and less-developed countries, the  average figures were 62% for women and 72% for men.

Concluded Gallup: “There were double-digit gender gaps in 84 of the 143 countries studied, with broad gender disparities most common among high-income and upper middle-income countries. The implication is that as countries develop socially and economically, expectations of physical security become the norm for all citizens - but in many cases women are less likely than men to feel those expectations are being met.”