This document discusses principles for improving women's safety in transportation. It notes that women's travel patterns differ from men's, as they make fewer work trips and more trips with dependents. Safety is a major criteria in choosing transportation for women. The document outlines principles for analyzing issues and designing solutions. Key principles include collecting gender-disaggregated data; examining safety in the entire journey; recognizing that technological solutions must be complemented by human-centric ones; implementing uniform solutions across transport modes; and taking a holistic approach that addresses infrastructure, operations, enforcement and institutional capacity. The principles aim to provide a framework for comprehensively addressing women's safety concerns in transportation planning.

1. A product of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
WOMEN’S SAFETY IN
TRANSPORT
LIMITATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY

2. INDIAN SCENARIO
48.5% women 30% women
2004-05 – 37%
2009-10 – 29%
2012-13 – 27%
Urban – 14.6%
Rural – 26.5%
Photo: Meena Kadri/ flicker
POPULATION
WORK FORCE
PARTICIPATION
WOMEN WORK
FORCE
PARTICIPATION RATE
URBAN RURAL
DIVIDE
Global Women’s Work Force Participation: 120th Out of 131
Sources: Census, 2011; World Economic Forum, 2013; NSSO; International Labour
Organization’s Global Employment Trends 2013 & World Bank
Lowest Female Work Force Participation among BRICKS nations

3. Violence against
women in transport
Restricts a woman’s
freedom of
movement
Impacts a woman’s
access to economic
and social activities
Women’s safety in transport is important
WHY WOMEN SAFETY IN TRANSPORT
IS IMPORTANT
Photo: Meena Kadri/ flicker
Source: National Crime Records Bureau &
Nita Bhalla, 2014 , http://in.reuters.com/
Survey of non-working
women in the city showed
that lack of safety was one
of the biggest reasons for
their decision of not working3
51.4% women faced sexual
harassment while using public
transport
&
49% of men reported to have
witnessed women being
harassed1

4. TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTION FOR WOMEN SAFETY ?
CCTV Camera GPS Tracking
Safety Apps
Can these alone solve the problem?

5. NEED TO LOOK AT WOMEN SAFETY IN
TRANSPORT
Photo: EMBARQ/ flicker
More dependent on public transport,
specially when part of the lower income
strata
Women’s travel patterns are different from
that of men
The difficulty faced by women with regard to
their mobility – a form of social exclusion
affecting all aspects of their lives –
particularly economic growth

6. Technology has its role to play but
alone cannot solve the issue of women
safety

7. PRINCIPLES
Designing
Solutions
Analysis of
Issues

8. PRINCIPLES
Analysis of Issues

9. Collect Gender Disaggregated Data
PRINCIPLES – ANALYSIS OF ISSUES
PRINCIPLE : 1

10. Women’s travel patterns differ greatly from that of men*
*Source : EMBARQ Public Transport Survey, Bhopal
Photo: EMBARQ/ flicker
Safety - Criteria for
choosing mode of
travel for 21% women
and only 10% of men
Work trips - 60% of
all trips made by
men but only 33%
for women
>30% women travel
with dependents
while only <16%
men do so
70% women spend less
than men in their
household on transport
expenses/month
FINDINGS FROM THE STUDY IN BHOPAL

11. PRINCIPLES – ANALYSIS OF ISSUES
PRINCIPLE : 2
Look at Safety Issues in the Entire
Journey

12. Looking at safety issues in the entire
journey
Different Journey Legs

13. No street light & Footpath
Encroached Footpaths
Unsheltered Bus Stop
Conductors blocking the
doorway
Overcrowding
No Reserved seats and
emergency numbers display
Unsheltered Stop
Access Trip Waiting at the Stop Boarding & Alighting
Aboard/on the busEgress Trip Boarding & Alighting
CASE STUDY: BHOPAL

14. Designing Solutions
PRINCIPLES

15. Technological Solutions to be
complemented by Human Centric Solutions
PRINCIPLES – DESIGNING SOLUTIONS
PRINCIPLE : 3

16. Women been harassed
while using public transport*
Women face harassment
on a regular basis
High level of Harassment of
women in public transport*
believe women
harassment not a prevalent issue
believe women
responsible for harassment
committed against them
Biased perception of on-ground
staff on harassment
LEVEL OF HARRASSMENT
*Public transport includes regular buses, tata magics and mini buses Photo: EMBARQ/ flicker
88%
40%
100%
30%

17. Uniform Solutions across Different Types of
Transport Modes
PRINCIPLES – DESIGNING SOLUTIONS
PRINCIPLE : 4

18. Metro
Cabs Cycle Rickshaws
Uniform practices for all modes of transport
Auto Rickshaw
PUBLIC TRANSPORT MODES IN CITIES
Bus

19. Holistic Solutions
PRINCIPLES – DESIGNING SOLUTIONS
PRINCIPLE : 5

20. Service Planning
& Operations
Enforcement/
Grievance system
Infrastructure &
Vehicles
Institutional
Capacity
HOLISTIC SOLUTIONS

21. Service Planning &
Operations
Enforcement/
Grievance system
Infrastructure &
Vehicles
Institutional
Capacity
• Footpath Design
standards
• Street Light standards
• Protocols for bus stop
placement
• Provision of bus
shelter
• Women Friendly bus
stop design
• Manager security &
Vigilance
• BCLL Women safety
Committee
• Safe City Standing
Committee
• Women Safety &
gender sensitivity
training
• Women Safety
Campaign
• Protocols for Bus
operations
• Operations training
• ITS Solutions
• Special Bus Pass for
Women
• Stop on Request
• Women employees
• More Nirbhaya Vans
• Provision of Help
Lines
• Common database of
bus personnel
CASE STUDY: SOLUTIONS FOR BHOPAL

22. Large number of cities currently use technology based solutions ,
especially for women’s safety
Help in giving a
structure to the
approach for
addressing women’s
safety
Help in choosing
appropriate
technology centric
and human centric
solutions for
addressing the
problem
Help in problems
identified to be
addressed
appropriately and
effectively
The principles will help addressing the problem wholistically

23. THANK YOU