Safer cities hold the key to women’s well-being

A Woman’s Place is in a Safe City, a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Data+Feminism Lab in collaboration with Point of View, Red Dot Foundation, and several Kolkata-based civil society organisations, gives us some insights. The study found that under the Safe City Project, 46% of the Nirbhaya Fund is allocated to surveillance and policing. The research questions whether State surveillance effectively prevents the violence faced by women, especially cis and trans women, in public spaces. It also examines the role of digital surveillance in shaping women’s visions of safe cities and proposes six areas for reallocating State funds to realise this vision. While surveillance can be empowering, it cannot replace essential on-the-ground measures that enhance safety for women. For instance, well-lit streets are crucial; a CCTV camera is ineffective without proper lighting.

Mobility is vital for women, whether professionals or homemakers, and safe transportation can reshape their perception of secure spaces. Karnataka’s free bus scheme for women has significantly improved both mobility and safety. Additionally, human surveillance from street vendors can enhance safety, as their presence attracts people and provides well-lit areas. Removing all vendors may clean the streets but won’t necessarily make them safer.

Even when surveillance detects violence against women, police and service providers must respond compassionately, as women often face disbelief or trivialisation of their complaints. A Tata Institute of Social Sciences initiative pairs trained social workers with police to support women experiencing harassment and violence. The severe restrictions on the mobility of women also limits their access to education, health care, and employment opportunities. Research has shown how these practices are reinforced by systemic inequalities and lack of legal enforcement.

The good news is that addressing violence against women has gained urgency with rising community leadership, legal advocacy, and grassroots movements. The Self-Help Groups movement has empowered women to organise and voice concerns about domestic violence and discrimination, resulting in improved local governance and resource allocation.

Legal advocacy has also been vital in advancing women’s rights. However, challenges in enforcement remain. Less than 20% of eligible women access legal aid services under the Legal Services Authorities Act (1987), hindered by information deficits, bureaucratic obstacles, and social stigma regarding violence against women

However, grassroots intervention in Ajmer district shows that enhanced survivor-centred governance to address violence against women in 10 villages of Silora block, Ajmer district, can help tackle the immediate risks faced by adolescent girls and women, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds while also fostering a robust ecosystem to support survivors and encourage duty bearers and decision-makers to challenge harmful gender norms and cultural practices. Akhila Sivadas, executive director, Centre for Advocacy and Research, says, “By expanding these efforts and institutionalizing successful practices across states and districts with high incidence of violence we cannot only reduce and eventually stop violence but also promote decentralised governance and women’s participation in decision-making.”

Significant progress has been made at the block level through gram sabhas and community meetings, developing actionable plans and administrative measures like improved lighting, roads, safe transportation, constituting internal complaints committees, and setting up suraksha samitis to enforce anti-harassment policies, and policing and legal redress including community policing, app-based security, legal aid clinics, and nominating trained paralegal volunteers at the grassroots level.

Addressing violence against women necessitates a multifaceted approach that integrates grassroots mobilisation with decentralised governance, underpinned by suitable institutional arrangements and system strengthening. Current precedents reveal the challenges women face and the potential for transformative change through collective action and legal advocacy. By leveraging these foundations, we can foster a violence-free environment allowing women to thrive without fear of violence or discrimination. This should be the aim of the Nirbhaya Fund.

The views expressed are personal