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Women’s Safety in Urban India: Urgent Challenges and Powerful Responses
Women’s Safety in Urban India: Critical Challenges and Strong Responses
Context: The National Annual Report and Index on Women’s Safety (NARI 2025) reveals that nearly 40% of urban women in India feel unsafe, with 7% reporting harassment in 2024—significantly higher than NCRB’s 2022 crime data. Young women aged 18–24 emerged as the most vulnerable group.
What are the major concerns of women in urban areas?
Findings from NARI 2025 Report
- Perception of Safety: 40% of women in Indian cities reported feeling “unsafe” or “not so safe.”
- Harassment Hotspots: Public transport (29%) and neighbourhoods (38%) were the most cited unsafe areas. Harassment included staring, catcalling, vulgar remarks, and unwanted physical contact.
- Underreporting: Only 22–33% of women reported incidents to authorities, with fear of stigma or inaction being key deterrents.
- Age Factor: Women aged 18–24 were most vulnerable, with harassment rates (14%) double the national average (7%).
- City Variations: Delhi, Kolkata, Ranchi, Srinagar, Patna, Jaipur, and Faridabad ranked lowest in safety, while Mumbai, Kohima, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, and Itanagar emerged safest.
- Workplace Issues: While 91% reported feeling safe at work, 53% were unaware of their legally mandated Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) policy.
What steps have been taken to ensure the safety of women?
- Legal and Policy Framework
- POSH Act, 2013: Mandates Internal Complaints Committees in all workplaces. Yet, lack of awareness hampers effectiveness.
- Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013: Introduced stricter punishment for sexual harassment, stalking, and acid attacks after the Nirbhaya case.
- Nirbhaya Fund (2013): Finances projects like CCTV installations, women’s helplines, and “panic button” integration in buses.
- Institutional Mechanisms
- National Commission for Women (NCW): Conducts safety audits, awareness drives, and launched the NARI Index to capture lived experiences beyond NCRB statistics.
- One Stop Centres (OSCs): Provide integrated support (medical, legal, psychological) to women facing violence. Over 700 OSCs are operational nationwide (MoWCD, 2024).
- Urban Safety Interventions
- Safe City Projects: Implemented in cities like Delhi, Lucknow, and Mumbai under MHA’s Safe City Programme, focusing on smart surveillance, better lighting, and women-centric policing.
- Public Transport Safety: Delhi Metro’s reserved coaches and panic helpline are cited as effective models, but buses and last-mile connectivity remain weak.
- Case Example: Bhubaneswar’s “Pink Auto Service” offers women-only autos with GPS tracking, improving perception of safety.
What more needs to be done?
- Bridging Data Gaps: Integrate NCRB crime data with perception-based surveys like NARI to reflect women’s lived reality.
- Community Policing & Awareness: Women’s Help Desks in police stations (an MHA initiative) need expansion and sensitisation training.
- Urban Planning for Gender Safety: Cities must adopt gender-responsive infrastructure — better-lit streets, safe public toilets, and affordable transport.
- Trust in Institutions: Only one in four women trust authorities to act effectively. Building this trust through transparent grievance redressal is vital.
