By Rabiya Irshad Khan
Every morning, when a young schoolgirl, a college student, or a working woman leaves her home, she carries courage in her eyes and dreams in her heart. She wants to shine like a star in the world. Yet, behind that courage hides a silent fear the fear of stepping into public transport. For many women in India, travelling from one place to another feels like entering a battlefield.
This struggle is not only physical but also deeply mental. A woman faces stares, unwanted comments, physical harassment, and the constant burden of psychological pressure every single day, simply for the act of travelling.
Most women remain silent. Studies suggest nearly 70 percent never raise their voice against harassment. Even when some do, only a few are truly heard. Society often tells them to stay quiet. Those who dare to speak are sometimes blamed or shamed in the name of family honor. Many are silenced, manipulated, or left alone to battle trauma sometimes for a lifetime. Years of harassment and anxiety create painful scars, wounding not only young girls but also mothers, sisters, and women of all ages. Yet society dismisses this as a “small problem,” when in truth it is a crisis eating away at the roots of our community.
Governments have tried partial solutions. In Srinagar, for example, under CM Omar Abdullah, Smart Red Buses were launched with free travel for women. On the surface, this looked like progress. But the reality remains: free rides do not guarantee safe rides. Overcrowding, lack of monitoring, and unchecked harassment inside buses continue. Women are often told to use private transport instead, but not every woman can afford an auto, taxi, or cab. What good is a free service if it cannot guarantee dignity and safety?
This problem extends beyond buses. It exists in metros, trains, and local shuttles every crowded public space. If we collected data from Mumbai’s busiest metro stations, the same disturbing patterns of harassment would emerge. For students, working women, and even mothers, daily commutes have become nightmares. What looks “small” from the outside can turn into lifelong trauma on the inside.
The Way Forward
Real change is possible if solutions are implemented with sincerity:
•Appoint women conductors or security officers in buses, metros, and trains.
•Provide employment opportunities for women through such roles.
•Establish exclusive helplines and ensure strict, time-bound action on complaints.
•Install CCTV cameras and panic buttons in all forms of public transport.
•Launch awareness campaigns so that harassment is treated not as a “women’s burden,” but as a crime against society.
Public transport should not feel like a battlefield for half of our population. The government, the Supreme Court of India, and law enforcement agencies must prioritize women’s safety not tomorrow, not someday, but now.
Offenders must face strict punishment and imprisonment so they experience social stigma that deters such behavior in the future.
The media, too, has a powerful role to play. Newspapers, television, and digital platforms must unite to spread awareness and highlight the consequences of harassment. Only then will society begin to see change.
Women should not have to abandon their ambitions out of fear. Their dreams must not be broken on the roads and buses they travel every day. Public transport must be transformed into a space of dignity, safety, and equal opportunity for all.