India: Delhi Women Fear For Safety

From SIFY News:

Nearly 80 percent of Delhi women fear for their safety in the city, a new survey says.

The Delhi government's women and child development department, NGO Jagori and international organisation Unifem conducted the survey.

The survey, released on Thursday, is based on interviews of 5,010 people, including 3,816 women and 944 men. The rest are common witnesses like bus conductors, shopkeepers and auto drivers, who have a probability of witnessing acts of sexual harassment against women.

'Nearly three out of every five women reported facing sexual harassment not only after dark but also through the daytime. But, it is a good sign that 68 percent of the women deal with harassment in some way like confronting the perpetrator or seeking help from family and friends,' said Delhi Health Minister Kiran Walia, who also looks after women and child development department.

Walia said public transport, buses and roads with faulty street lights are the spaces where women and girls face a high level of sexual harassment.