Despite legal frameworks aimed at protecting women, safety remains an illusion in India’s public spaces. Trains, buses, and taxi services continue to be hotspots of harassment and assault, as recent incidents reveal. A 23-year-old woman jumping off a train to escape an assaulter and a pregnant woman suffering a miscarriage after being pushed from a moving train expose the alarming inadequacy of security measures. These are not isolated cases but part of a systemic failure that forces women to navigate daily life in fear.
While laws exist, their implementation is inconsistent at best and negligent at worst. Women who report harassment often encounter victim-blaming, indifference, or outright dismissal by law enforcement. This discourages survivors from seeking justice, ensuring that perpetrators act with impunity. Judicial processes add another layer of distress, with cases dragging on for years and some judgments reflecting archaic mindsets rather than justice. The recent Supreme Court intervention against a shockingly regressive High Court ruling—where inappropriate touching of a minor was not considered attempted rape—was a rare but necessary assertion that such legal interpretations will not be tolerated.
Beyond legal failures, societal attitudes remain deeply problematic. Instead of making public spaces safer, the onus is placed on women to “protect themselves” by avoiding travel at night or dressing conservatively. This warped logic does nothing to address the threat but further curtails women’s freedom. Meanwhile, infrastructural shortcomings—dark streets, poor surveillance, and ineffective emergency helplines—render urban and semi-urban areas perilous for women, reinforcing their exclusion from public life.
The problem extends beyond public spaces. Workplace harassment remains rampant due to weak enforcement of safety laws, with many women choosing silence over the risk of losing their livelihoods. Dalit and tribal women face even greater dangers, with caste and gender bias in law enforcement leaving their cases routinely ignored. Within homes, legal loopholes persist—most notably, the refusal to criminalize marital rape, which leaves countless women vulnerable to abuse under the guise of tradition.
Political leaders often issue statements of outrage after high-profile cases, but these moments rarely translate into sustained policy action. While courts play an essential role, true change requires a coordinated effort—better policing, mandatory sensitization programs, and proactive measures such as improved lighting, increased surveillance, and fast-tracked trials for gender-based crimes.
Empowerment cannot be a hollow promise. Women’s safety is not about restricting their movements but ensuring they can live without fear. Until India shifts its focus from controlling women to holding perpetrators accountable, public spaces will remain hostile, and justice will remain elusive.
