Safest Cities for Women in India

Context 

Mumbai and Visakhapatnam have been named among the safest cities for women in India in the 2025 National Annual Report and Index on Women’s Safety (NARI), which surveyed 12,770 women across 31 cities. The report links these cities’ rankings to stronger gender equity, effective policing, women-friendly infrastructure, and civic participation, while highlighting persistent challenges in other cities like Delhi and Kolkata where women feel far less safe.

Mumbai and Visakhapatnam: Leaders in Women’s Safety

• Mumbai and Visakhapatnam ranked among the top cities providing a safer environment for women. These cities showed:
  • Strong gender equity measures promoting equality and reducing discrimination.
  • Better policing and increased presence of women police officers enhancing security responsiveness.
  • Women-friendly infrastructure such as improved street lighting, CCTV surveillance, and female drivers in public transport.
  • Active civic participation involving women in decision-making roles and safety networks at key public sites.
• Together, these factors foster a positive perception of safety among women in these cities. For instance, a significant number of women in Mumbai and Vizag rated their local public transport, workplaces, and educational institutions as safer compared to other cities.

The NARI 2025 Report Overview

• The NARI report surveyed women from diverse cities, providing a national safety score of 65% based on subjective perceptions of safety.
• Approximately 60% of women surveyed felt generally safe, but 40% still expressed feelings of insecurity, especially in public transport and neighborhoods.
• Safety perceptions sharply declined at night, particularly in public transport and recreational spaces.
• Despite many safety measures, only 25% of women trusted authorities to act effectively on complaints, with over two-thirds of harassment cases going unreported.

Challenges in Other Cities

• The report also identified cities like Patna, Jaipur, Delhi, Kolkata, Srinagar, and Ranchi as the least safe for women due to:
  • Weaker institutional responsiveness and poor policing.
  • Entrenched patriarchal norms limiting women’s freedom and safety.
  • Insufficient urban planning and women-friendly infrastructure, which increases vulnerability.
  • Lower civic participation and weaker enforcement of protective laws.

Importance of Perception and Reporting

The NARI report emphasizes that women’s perception of safety is as critical as actual crime statistics. While statistical crime data may show low reported incidents in some cities, this does not guarantee a lived experience of safety. The underreporting of harassment and limited trust in law enforcement significantly affect women’s real and perceived security.

Way Forward for Safer Cities

To strengthen urban women’s safety, the report suggests:

• Expanding deployment of women police officers and female staff in public services.
• Enhancing public infrastructure like CCTV, better lighting, and safe public transport facilities.
• Increasing awareness and enforcement of workplace policies such as the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act.
• Encouraging community participation and gender-sensitive urban planning.
• Improving reporting mechanisms and law enforcement responsiveness to increase trust among women.

 Source: The Hindu

UPSC Mains Practice Question

Q. Discuss the key findings of the National Annual Report & Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025 with special reference to the safest cities for women in India. What factors contribute to the safety of women in these cities, and what challenges remain in making all urban spaces safer for women?

Download as PDF