Delhi, Faridabad, Srinagar unsafe for women: Report

Delhi, Faridabad and Srinagar are among the least safe cities for women in India. This was revealed by the National Annual Report & Index on Women’s Safety (NARI 2025), released by the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Thursday.

These are joined by Ranchi, Kolkata and Jaipur in receiving the lowest safety ratings. In contrast, the report identified Kohima, Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar and Mumbai as the safest cities.

The findings are based on a survey of 12,770 women across 31 cities, conducted by a private data science agency, Pvalue Analytics. At least 40 per cent of the women surveyed described their cities as either “unsafe” or “not so safe”.

The report also revealed a significant lack of trust in the authorities. Only one in four women believed that proper action would be taken if they reported an unsafe incident. Among those who did experience an incident, just a third reported it to the authorities and action was taken in only 16 per cent of those cases.

Harassment emerged as a major area of concern, with 7 per cent of women stating they had experienced it in 2024 -- a figure dramatically higher than the 0.07 per cent recorded in the National Crime Records Bureau’s 2022 data. The report indicates that younger women, particularly those between 18 and 24, face the highest risks. Researchers emphasised that the study helped uncover the “dark figure” of unreported crimes, capturing women’s lived experiences beyond official statistics.

The survey also highlighted significant workplace safety gaps. At least 53 per cent of the women were unsure whether their organisation had a prevention of sexual harassment policy, pointing to a critical lack of awareness and accountability in professional environments.

At the launch event, NCW Chairperson Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar said the report reflected women’s real voices and would assist policymakers in taking more decisive action. “The launch of NARI 2025 is a step forward in understanding the safety concerns of women in our cities. Our priority is to ensure that every woman feels safe at home, at work, in public places and online,” she said, adding that the findings should guide governments, corporations and communities in taking focused steps to improve women safety.