The National Annual Report and Index on Women’s Safety (NARI 2025) has ranked Chennai 21st among 31 Indian cities, with an overall score of 61.7% – lower than the national average of 64.6%.
The report, released by the National Commission for Women in New Delhi on Friday, assessed women’s perceptions of safety across public spaces, workplaces, and institutions.
According to the findings, only 8% of women described Chennai as “highly safe” and 46% as “safe,” bringing the total to 54% – below the national figure of 60%. Meanwhile, 33% of women gave a neutral response, while 11% said they felt unsafe and 3% felt highly unsafe, both higher than national averages.
Daytime safety fared better, with 75% of women saying they felt secure. At night, however, this dropped to 54%, and 21% said they felt unsafe or highly unsafe after dark.
When asked about public infrastructure, 46% of women rated the city’s facilities as women-friendly, while 55% said they trusted the police and local authorities. However, nearly one-third expressed uncertainty, indicating a lack of strong confidence.
Harassment remains a pressing concern. Around 7% of women reported experiencing harassment in public spaces in 2024, matching the national average. Verbal abuse was most commonly reported, followed by physical harassment. Incidents were most frequent on public transport (31%), in neighbourhoods (21%), and in recreation areas (21%).
Women adopted various coping strategies: 54% moved to safer places, 48% reported incidents to police, 13% left the area quietly, and 15% confronted their harassers.
The report noted that visible measures such as police patrols and emergency contacts in buses increased the sense of safety, while poor lighting, deserted places, and unguarded areas heightened insecurity.
To improve safety, women called for better infrastructure, more helplines, panic buttons, CCTV cameras, and stricter law enforcement.
(With inputs from Times of India)
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