Jul 18, 2023
Soon all eyes will be on FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™—where the world’s top women’s soccer teams face off this July and August.
This year's World Cup will be held in cities that rank highly for women’s safety on GeoSure’s GeoSafeScore™ ratings scale—a ratings system of 1 to100 (representing low to high risk) that incorporates factors such as verbal harassment, physical assault, violence directed against women, and adequacy of women’s support facilities, as well as the level of caution required at a location. However, there are always nuances to traveler safety—especially for women, and especially when walking around a new city at night or going to post-game events.
For example, while many of the neighborhoods surrounding host stadiums rank higher for women’s safety than the city’s average Women’s Safety GeoSafeScore™, in some destinations, women’s safety ranks lower than the safety score—for anyone—at night.
Confidence and reassurance are key to a great travel experience. That’s why having a game plan—like knowing the level of safety where matches will be played as well as where you’re staying—will ensure that you can support your team, celebrate their wins, and make informed decisions about your safety along the way.
Here are the safest cities and neighborhoods for women attending the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, according to GeoSure ratings.
Home to two of the 10 stadiums hosting games this tournament, Sydney is also one of the three safest host cities on the list—scoring 77 out of 100 overall for Women’s Safety. However, at night, the score drops slightly to 73, representing a slight decrease in safety-related factors.
World Cup matches taking place in Sydney will be played at Stadium Australia—also known as Accor Stadium—located outside of Sydney’s city center in Sydney Olympic Park, as well as at Sydney Football Stadium—also known as Allianz Stadium—located right in the heart of the city.
Five games will be played at Stadium Australia, including both the World Cup opener on July 20th and the final on August 20th. Sydney Football Stadium will also host five games.
Stadium Australia and its surrounding neighborhood (Parramatta) score 79 for Women’s Safety, slightly higher than the city of Sydney overall. At night, the score dips slightly to 78. The same precautions you take in the city center should be taken near Stadium Australia.
The neighborhoods surrounding Sydney Football Stadium also score slightly higher: Moore Park, nearest to the stadium, scores 78 out of 100; the neighborhoods of Three Saints Square (score of 82), Zetland (82), and Darlinghurst (80) also score higher than the Sydney average.
At night, these neighborhoods, while still reflecting an above average safety, drop in ratings: Moore Park drops from 78 to 74; Three Saints Square drops from 82 to 77; Zetland decreases from 82 to 75; and Darlinghurst decreases from 80 to 77.
Again, keep in mind that nighttime safety ratings are for overall nighttime safety—not just women. In some neighborhoods, nighttime safety ranks higher than overall safety for women. As such, women should always exercise heightened caution and awareness of their surroundings at night.
Melbourne, Australia’s second-most populous city and home to Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, will host six games of the Women’s World Cup.
The city itself scores as one of the safest host cities with a score of 77 out of 100. Nighttime safety dips to 73.
Fans should be mindful that some neighborhoods near the stadium rank slightly lower than the city average. For example, Cremorne—located nearest to the stadium—scores 76 for Women’s Safety; that score dips to 73 at night. Richmond (72; 72) and East Melbourne (72; 74) are also nearby and score below the city’s average score.
The highest ranking city in New Zealand, Dunedin rounds out the top-three safest cities scoring 77 out of 100. At night, the safety score drops slightly to 75.
Dunedin Stadium will host six matches this tournament, including an opening-day match between Philippines and Switzerland.
Hindmarsh—a suburb of Adelaide, Australia and home to Hindmarsh Stadium—scores 75 out of 100 for Women’s Safety. At night, the overall safety drops slightly to 72.
Five games will be played at Hindmarsh Stadium this tournament, including one knockout-round match.
Kingsland’s Women’s Safety and nighttime safety scores are at parity—both scoring 74 out of 100.
Nine matches will be played at Kingsland’s Eden Park, including New Zealand’s first game of the tournament versus Norway, as well as two of the U.S. team’s matches—one versus Vietnam and the other against Portugal.
Wellington, home to Wellington Regional Stadium, will host nine games this tournament. Fans traveling to Wellington should be aware that Women’s Safety ranks lower than nighttime safety—with scores of 73 and 76, respectively.
Brisbane, while ranking lower on our list versus other major cities, still ranks above average for Women’s Safety with a score of 71 out of 100. As with other places, the nighttime safety score is higher than the Women’s Safety score; in Brisbane, the nighttime safety score is 75.
Brisbane Stadium, also known as Lang Park, will host eight matches. Co-host Australia will take on Nigeria here early in the tournament.
The neighborhoods surrounding the stadium generally rank higher than Brisbane’s overall score of 70. Milton (where the stadium is located) scores 76 for Women’s Safety and 74 at night; nearby, Dutton Park (81; 76), Spring Hill (76; 75), and Kangaroo Point (75; 76) all score higher for Women’s Safety than the city average.
Hamilton, located on New Zealand’s North Island and home to Waikato Stadium, will host five Women’s World Cup matches. A city of fewer than 200,000 residents, Hamilton scores 70 out of 100 for Women’s Safety.
Like other cities and neighborhoods on this list, the nighttime safety score is actually higher than it is for women overall. In Hamilton, the nighttime safety score is 75.
Perth scores 69 out of 100 for Women’s Safety; the nighttime safety score is once again higher at 74.
Five games will be played at Perth Rectangular Stadium, including matches that feature four World Cup newcomers: Ireland, Panama, Morocco, and Haiti.
GeoSure analyzes metadata captures from hundreds of trusted sources to determine the safest destinations for women. Women's Safety GeoSafeScores™ are defined as safety from all forms of mistreatment, discrimination, and violence as well as access to equitable health care, civil rights, and liberties for persons who identify as and/or present as a woman. Note that GeoSure scores are dynamic, reflecting new safety information. In safe, stable cities and countries, scores may not change as rapidly as they may in more fluid, less stable environments.
Amanda Wowk is a freelance writer, founder of Amanda Wowk Creative—a content writing services company—and avid traveler. Her experience spans the travel industry, supporting clients in travel tech, luxury travel, and consumer brands. When she's not helping clients tell their stories, Amanda writes about her own experiences to inspire others to travel as far, wide, and safely as possible.
