Bhubaneswar, Aug 30: In a major development highlighting women’s safety in urban India, Bhubaneswar and Mumbai have been ranked among the safest cities for women, according to the National Annual Report & Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025.
The findings are based on a detailed survey involving 12,770 women across 31 Indian cities. The report assigned a national safety benchmark score of 65%, classifying cities as performing "much above," "above," "below," or "much below" this average.
Joining Bhubaneswar and Mumbai at the top of the list are Kohima, Visakhapatnam, Aizawl, Gangtok, and Itanagar. These cities were praised for promoting gender equality, encouraging civic participation, ensuring efficient law enforcement, and providing women-friendly infrastructure.
In contrast, cities like Patna, Jaipur, Faridabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Srinagar, and Ranchi were marked as underperforming. The report pointed to issues such as poor institutional support and deep-rooted patriarchal attitudes as key challenges in these areas.
Despite 60% of women reporting a general sense of safety in their cities, specific concerns were raised—particularly about using public transport and visiting public spaces after dark. Educational institutions were deemed safe during daytime hours by 86% of respondents, but that number dropped significantly at night.
Workplaces fared better, with 91% of women stating they felt safe on the job. However, nearly half of those surveyed were unaware of their organization’s Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) policy, highlighting a need for greater awareness.
The NARI 2025 Index is expected to serve as a valuable resource for government officials, city planners, and community leaders working to create safer, more inclusive urban environments for women throughout India.
