Urbanisation often goes hand in hand with a rise in urban violence and crime that manifests in terms of street harassment of women and girls, stalking, sexual violence, blackmailing and extortion rackets. Children and women are seen as soft spots who can be victimized by predators. One such incident in the city is enough and the feeling of insecurity is spread like wild fire. It not only frightens girls and women, it controls every act they consider doing then onwards. Smart cities have to be safe cities: Town planners, policy makers and budget experts need to do gender budgeting incorporating facets such as women-friendly civic infrastructure- water, sanitation, health care, safe transport, public toilets, helplinesskill development for crisis management and, safety at work place. While making budgets for social defense services, consideration must be given to safety of girls and women in schools and colleges in terms of prevention of child sexual abuse through public education and counselling facilities, separate toilets for girls and boys in schools, legal literacy on POCSO Act, 2012 and Prevention of Sexual Harassment Workplace Act, 2013, special cells in the police department to take action against display of pornographic images, SMS messages, cybercrimes that victimize young girls at public places, in public transportbuses, local trains, rickshaws and taxis. Installation of panic buttons for customers in rickshaws and taxis need to be

1. Safe Cities and Gender Issues
Dr. Vibhuti Patel, DIRECTOR, CSSEIP
&
Professor and Head,
Post Graduate Department of Economics,
SNDT Women’s University,
Smt. Nathibai Thakersey Road, Churchgate, Mumbai-400020
Tel91) (22) 22031879, Ext.243, Mobile-9321040048
E mail: vibhuti.np@gmail.com 1

2. Breakdown of the inherent laws of society
• Urbanisation often goes hand in hand with a rise
in urban violence and crime.
• Extortion
• children and women are seen as soft spots
• victims of violence
• One kidnapping in the city is enough, one rape is
enough and the feeling of insecurity is spread like
wild fire among the women and children of those
areas. This is in the more traditional form of
violence… It not only frightens them, it controls
every act they consider doing then onwards. 2

3. Advantages of safety for women
• Feeling safe is to feel protected. It is a feeling of
well-being which can envelop a family, a
community, a neighbourhood and a city.
• Its composition is hard to decipher, but it is an all
-encompassing feeling of calm which is often as
invisible as clean unpolluted air and, inversely,
when fear and anxiety take its place, that feeling is
as palpable as though it was a physical reality.
• More freedom, less confinement & control
• Opportunity to travel, education, job, career
• Prevention of child marriage 3

4. “Law and Order" situation & the state
• Conflict makes women unsafe
• Hostility between rival groups is played on bodies of
women and girls-rape, sexual harassment
• Insular existence
• Harm to community spirit
• Refugee camps
• Child marriages increase in the context of unsafe
environment
• Police Helpline -103, 1091
• One stop crisis centres for women survivors of violence:
doctors, lawyers, police, emergency shelter, legal aid
4

5. Infrastructure and Safety
• Need for safe Housing-Night shelter for homeless women
• Half way homes for elderly women
• Information desk for women and children at railway
stations/buses
• Road widening for 4 wheelers ad heavy vehicles have
taken toll of pavements-Proper foot paths for
pedestrians, vendors, hawkers whose presence ensures
safety
• Proper lighting
• Safety audit by Akshara- in Mumbai city there are over
400 spots which are unsafe (Like Shakti Mill Compound)
• Safe, clean, free toilets at railway stations, bus stops, 5

6. Violence Against Women
• Gang rape, Seduction and Rape
• Moral policing, honour killing
• Kidnapping
• Acid Attacks
• Murders
• Extortion
• Senior women
• Women headed households
• Sex Trade-girls & women facing sexual blackmail
• Cyber crimes 6

7. Malnutrition, MMR, CMR,
Malaria, Dengue, Tuberculosis, HIV-AIDS
• Slum sanitation-toilets
• Stagnant water-Malaria, dengue
• Water born diseases
• T.B. , HIV-AIDS
• Women as carers and as patients
• High maternal and child mortality in urban Slums
• Malnutrition-More than 45% women and children
• Food security-curbing inflation in essential commodities
• Strong public health measures: Closed gutters, safe
drinking water, health care facilities
7

8. Safety at Schools & Colleges
• Child Sexual Abuse
• Separate Toilets
• Counselors
• Sexual harassment
• Stalking
• Acid Attacks
• Moral policing
• Pornography-blue films
• Transport-Buses, local trains
8

9. Safety of women workers-
• Women commuters-Railway stations, bus stands,
auto, taxi
• Informal sector
• Domestic workers
• Call centres
• Small scale industries
• Offices
• Corporate Sector
• Markets
• Public places 9

10. Demands of Women’s Groups
• More police officers on ground to deter criminals
• Better help lines-Efficient, effective and ensure
communication channels with police are open
• Gender sensitization of police personnel
• Well lit streets, more CCTV cameras, panic
buttons on autos and cabs
• No victim blaming
• Transparent guidelines for post trauma care,
counseling, rehabilitation, compensation
• Rise and Respond to Ensure safety of Women
10

11. Women United will Never be
Defeated
11

12. Thank you
12