The report also found significant gaps in workplace safety, with 53 per cent of women being unaware if their company had a Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) policy, which is mandated by law
A new national index on women’s safety has revealed a significant disconnect between official crime statistics and the lived reality of women in India’s urban areas. The National Annual Report and Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025, found that 40 per cent of women in Indian cities feel either “not so safe” or “unsafe.”
The report, based on a survey of over 12,770 women across 31 cities, aims to go beyond reported crime numbers to capture the daily experiences of harassment. While the latest official data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows low figures for crimes against women, the NARI 2025 report reveals that 7 per cent of women surveyed said they faced harassment in 2024—a figure 100 times higher than reported cases.
This harassment included staring, catcalling, lewd comments, and touching on the streets, with the highest risk group being women aged 18-24. According to the report, inadequate infrastructure, poor lighting, and inefficient public transport were cited as contributing factors.
Unreported Harassment and a Lack of Awareness
The NARI 2025 report suggests a major reason for the discrepancy is that a large majority of harassment incidents go unreported. Only 22 per cent of the women surveyed said they reported their experiences to authorities, with many citing fear of further harassment or social stigma as the reason.
The report also found significant gaps in workplace safety, with 53 per cent of women being unaware if their company had a Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) policy, which is mandated by law.
Geographically, the index highlighted a wide disparity in perceived safety. Kolkata and Delhi were among the cities ranked as the least safe for women, along with Ranchi, Srinagar, and Faridabad. In contrast, cities like Mumbai, Kohima, Vishakhapatnam, and Bhubaneswar were considered among the safest.
During the report’s launch in Delhi, Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar, chairperson of the National Commission for Women, emphasised the importance of the findings. “At the National Commission for Women, our priority is to ensure that every woman feels safe at home, at work, in public places and online,” she said. Prahallad Rout, MD of Pvalue Analytics, which conducted the study, said he hopes the findings will “guide governments, corporates and communities to take focused steps to improve women’s safety.”
