10. Djibouti
Total score – 27
Located in the Horn of Africa, the Republic of Djibouti is a country with less than a million people. What earned this country its points? Well, it’s the country with the third highest percentage of girls and women whose genitals were mutilated, despite it being illegal. While this procedure is often done on women or young women, it is also performed on girls between the ages of 5 and 9. In fact, 62% of the girls that were cut went through this ordeal at this young age.
If you’re wondering just how the country ranks in terms of freedom, you shouldn’t be too surprised to find out that Freedom House grades it as “not free”. This is due to the attitude the ruling administration has had, trying to repress and harass journalists, human rights activists, and opposition leaders. If you are interested in finding out about the countries on the other side of the spectrum, check our recent articles on 10 Freest Countries in the World.
Dereje/Shutterstock.com
