10 Most Challenging Places in the World to be a Mother.

According to the 2013 State of the World’s Mothers report, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the most challenging place in the world to be a mother, followed by Somalia and Sierra Leone. In the DRC, the lifetime risk of maternal death is one in 30, and one in six children will die before his or her 5th birthday.
The report, which evaluated 176 countries on the basis of maternal health, child mortality, educational status, economic status and political status, also underscores vast regional disparities. The 10 toughest places to be a mother are all in Sub-Saharan Africa, where women are nearly 120 times as likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth as they are in industrialized countries.
1. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Levels of maternal mortality, child mortality, education status, poverty and women’s participation in parliament are among the most challenging in the world. The DR Congo performs in the bottom 12 percent of countries across all indicators, and bottoms out as the single most challenging place to be a mom.• Lifetime risk of maternal death is one in 30

• One in six children will die before his or her 5th birthday
• Less than nine years of formal schooling is expected
• $190 gross national income per person
• Women hold 8 percent of seats in national parliament

2. Somalia

Only 2.4 years of formal schooling is expected

3. Sierra Leone

Lifetime risk of maternal death is one in 23.

4. Mali

One in six children will die before his or her 5th birthday.

5. Niger

Only 5.3 years of formal schooling is expected.

6.Central African Republic (CAR)

One in six children will die before his or her 5th birthday.

7. Gambia

Women hold 8 percent of seats in national parliament.

8. Nigeria

Lifetime risk of maternal death is one in 29.

9. Chad

Lifetime risk of maternal death is one in 15.

10. Côte d’Ivoire

One in nine children will die before his or her 5th birthday.

Culled From Huffington Post