Are Women in “Progressive” Circles in India Safe?

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We recently took to Instagram stories for an activity that analysed how a young Gen-Z Indian girl in the supposedly “progressive” society of today feels, even in relatively modern metropolises in privileged households, and the results were - while unsurprising - disheartening. The questions were about whether they were allowed to stay out of their homes after dark, and even when they did, whether they felt safe, and how often they were subjected to demeaning comments about their clothes.

A large majority of the responders were restricted heavily by their parents when it came to being allowed to stay out at night, which showcases how Indian households continue to disproportionately restrict their daughters’ freedom over their sons. However, this phenomenon cannot be blamed solely on the cultural background. It is because of the inherent fear that plagues the conscience of every Indian parent for their daughter’s safety that often holds them back from giving a level of freedom to them that is equal to their sons. This fear can also not be chalked up to merely the paranoia of a worried parent, as the girls who responded themselves agreed that they almost never felt safe traversing the streets at night, no matter which city they lived in. 

This trend is representative of perhaps the most pervasive of issues for women today, especially in India: safety. Staying out at night is a privilege for most girls, as they are constantly shackled by many forms of fear: fear of getting molested, raped, being stared at or catcalled, amongst numerous others. Being out alone at night without constantly looking over their shoulder, sending their live locations to their loved ones, paying special attention to wearing “covered up” clothing, carrying a pepper spray etc., are all things that have been normalized for women. Leading a life unfettered by such worries, whether by day or night, is a tinselly fantasy for almost every woman in India, realized only briefly for some when walking the streets of a foreign land.

A large part of this ominous environment of constant trepidation can be attributed to how women continue to be objectified and judged by the clothes they wear. In our responses, every single woman agreed to have been subjected to judgmental and unsolicited comments about their clothes, often progressing to presumptions about their character by the length of their skirt, and the amount of skin they show. A woman is seen as opening herself up for objectification and harassment if she dresses in anything that is frowned upon in her community. 

However, empirical data dictates that the actual correlation between the amount of skin a woman shows and the possibility of her getting assaulted is nothing but a mere fable. The issue lies in the very idea that it is upon a woman to act a certain way, dress a certain way, schedule her outings a certain way, in order to be worthy of basic respect and safety. In the absence of any shift in this mindset, as well as a proportionate and conscientious effort curtailing crimes against women, fear will continue to run rampant and impede women’s lives.

- Nishtha Jindal and Srishti Bhardwaj
 Girl Up Neev

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