For years, Mumbai has been hailed as one of India’s safest cities for women, while Delhi continues to carry the label of being one of the most unsafe. Yet, the NARI 2025 report, released in New Delhi by National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, reveals a more complex picture. Despite the contrasting reputations, nearly 40% of women in both cities say they do not feel safe.
What the survey says
The nationwide study surveyed 12,770 women across 31 cities. It ranks Mumbai, Kohima, Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, and Itanagar among India’s safest urban centers.
Meanwhile, Kolkata, Delhi, Ranchi, Srinagar, Faridabad, Patna, and Jaipur feature at the bottom.
However, the index highlights that statistics don’t always match lived experiences. While six in ten women said they feel “safe” overall, four in ten admitted to feeling “not so safe” or outright unsafe in their own surroundings.
Day vs night: Safety gaps
The findings underline a stark difference between day and night. During daylight hours, particularly inside schools, colleges, and workplaces, 86% of women felt secure. But once night falls, confidence sharply declines. Public transport, empty streets, and recreational areas transform into spaces of anxiety, limiting women’s mobility and social participation.
Silent suffering: The underreporting crisis
Perhaps the most concerning revelation is that two out of three women do not report harassment or abuse. Only a third of those surveyed said they had filed complaints. This silence distorts crime statistics, making the NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) data appear far safer than reality.
Rahatkar emphasised that women’s safety cannot be seen only as a law-and-order issue. It has far-reaching impacts on education, employment, health, digital freedom, and overall mobility. Initiatives like women helplines, CCTV surveillance, women police personnel, and female bus drivers are helping build trust. But she warned that these institutional measures are incomplete without social change. “We often blame the system, but society must also reflect on its own role,” she said.
The bigger truth
The NARI 2025 report ultimately makes one point clear: a city is not truly safe just because crime numbers look low. Real safety exists only when women can walk without fear, report without hesitation, and dream without restrictions. Until then, safety remains more of an illusion, documented in reports but not fully lived in reality.
