USA

There are big social differences and here, as in the rest of the world, social problems cause violence. Poverty levels have increased with the financial crisis and there are reasons to believe that this will lead to more violence in close relationships.

The majority of women in the US live in relative equality. There are big social differences and here, as in the rest of the world, social problems cause violence. Poverty levels have increased with the financial crisis and there are reasons to believe that this will lead to more violence in close relationships.

Population: 313 million (2011)

Religion: Christianity, approx. 78 %

Life expectancy: Men 75 years, women 80 years

Literacy rate: 98%

Income inequality: Gini coefficient 0.45 (2007)* 

Ranking on the Transparency International list of Corruption Perceptions in 183 countries: 24 (2011)**

Ranking on the UNDP Human Development Index of 146 countries, taking gender equality into account: 47 (2011)***

Maternal deaths: 16 deaths per l00,000 births

Number of children/woman: 2.06

Abortion legislation: Right to abortion. Some states have regulations making certain information to pregnant women mandatory, including the size and appearance of the foetus.

Law against rape within marriage: Yes

Violence against women in close relationships: one woman in six has been subjected to sexual violence.

* Gini coefficient:
An economic metric of inequality in a population, for example in income distribution. The Gini coefficient has a value of between 0 and 1, where 0 implies that the assets of all individuals are exactly the same (total equality) while 1 represents total inequality. The lower the Gini coefficient for income inequality, the greater the equality of distribution of salaries, profits, welfare benefits and other forms of compensation. 

** Corruption:
In 2011, Transparency International ranked 183 countries according to how widespread corruption was in the country. Position 1 on the list showed the country where corruption was least widespread, position 183 the greatest. Corruption within, for example, the police and justice systems has a marked influence on women’s lives.  

*** Equality:
Every year, the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, measures human development in the world’s countries taking into account health, education and income, in the Human Development Index, HDI. In 2010 a new index was introduced: GII, Gender Inequality Index, which also takes gender equality into account. The countries are ranked from position 1 downwards.

Sources:

Swedish Institute of International Affairs
Center for Reproductive Rights
CIA World Factbook
Wikimedia
Transparency International
UNDP HDI2011
UNDP HDR2011
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ reports on human rights

USA