Poor NARI ranking exposes women safety gaps in Delhi

Thirteen years after the 2012 bus gang rape and murder shocked the nation, women in Delhi continue to face glaring safety gaps in everyday public life.

From poorly lit streets and unsafe transport to the lack of secure public spaces and limited emergency services, the concerns remain stark, according to the National Annual Report & Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025.

The survey, launched by the National Commission for Women (NCW) last month, covered 12,770 women across 31 cities.

Delhi ranked 28th on the women’s safety index, placing it among the worst-performing cities, ahead only of Kolkata, Srinagar, and Ranchi.

According to the report, 31% of women in Delhi said women-friendly infrastructure was either “minimal” or “non-existent”.

‘Serious concern’

Nationally, the figure stood at 23%. “This ranking is a serious cause for concern, particularly because Delhi, as the national capital, should ideally set the benchmark for women’s safety across Bharat,” the report said.

In Delhi, 41% of women said deserted spaces made them feel unsafe, while unlit areas, high crime rates, and public behaviour were also cited as reasons for fear.

The contrast between daytime and night-time safety was sharp: while 8% felt unsafe during the day, the number jumped to 35% after dark.

The report noted that there is a “concerning disparity” between Delhi and the national average regarding experiences of harassment in public spaces.

The national capital recorded a higher incidence of harassment in public spaces compared with the national average. While 7% of women across the country reported experiencing harassment, in Delhi the figure was 12%.

Repeated harassment

Alarmingly, 61% of Delhi women who reported harassment said they had faced it more than twice, pointing to systemic lapses in deterring repeat offenders. Neighbourhood areas were most frequently cited as sites of harassment (34%), indicating that proximity to home does not guarantee safety. This was followed by transport facilities (32%).

When asked for solutions, 51% of women demanded more policing, while 17% specifically called for timely and proper police action, underscoring frustration with law enforcement.