New Delhi: Despite increasing urban infrastructure and safety measures, four in ten women in Indian cities still feel unsafe, and only one in three incidents of harassment are reported, according to the National Annual Report and Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025.
The findings, released on Thursday, August 28, by the National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, highlight persistent gaps in urban safety, policing and societal accountability.
The report surveyed 12,770 women across 31 cities and pegged the national safety score at 65 per cent. Cities were then categorised as performing either above or below this benchmark. Kohima, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar and Mumbai emerged as the safest, while Patna, Jaipur, Faridabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Srinagar and Ranchi were ranked among the least safe.
Rahatkar said that women’s safety is not just a question of law and order, but also shapes access to education, health, mobility, employment and digital spaces.
Key Insights from NARI 2025
Feeling of Safety: 60 per cent of women surveyed said they felt ‘safe’ in their city. However, 40 per cent rated themselves as ‘not so safe’ or ‘unsafe’.
Day vs Night: While 86 per cent of women reported feeling safe in educational institutions during the day, confidence dropped sharply after dark.
Workplace Security: 91 per cent said they felt safe at work, but 50 per cent were unaware of or unsure about POSH policy implementation.
Harassment Trends: 7 per cent of all women faced public harassment in 2024. Among women under 24, the figure was double, at 14 per cent.
Top Hotspots: Neighbourhoods (38 per cent) and public transport (29 per cent) were cited as the most common locations for harassment.
Underreporting: Only one in three incidents of harassment were reported to authorities.
Trust in Authorities: Just 25 per cent of respondents expressed confidence in police or officials to act effectively on complaints.
Factors Behind Safer Cities: High-ranking cities were associated with better policing, civic engagement, gender-inclusive planning and responsive governance. Poorer-performing cities were marked by weak infrastructure and entrenched patriarchal attitudes.'
'Society Must Ask What It Has Done'
Releasing the report, NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar acknowledged the role of growing infrastructure such as CCTV networks, women helplines and gender-diverse public sector recruitment, including female bus drivers and police officers. However, she cautioned against viewing safety as a technical fix.
“We often blame the system, but society must also ask what it has done,” she said.
The report recommends that perception-based surveys be integrated with official crime data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to better reflect the lived experiences of women across India.
