Me, The Change Survey: Only 19% Young Women Feel Safe After Dark

The young woman is ambitious, plans to pursue higher studies and wants to be independent. But does she feel safe?

The first-time woman voter has many aspects to her personality. She aspires to study more, is ambitious but is also partly socially conservative, the Lokniti-CSDS The Quint survey has shown. Data from the same survey, conducted as part of The Quint’s ‘Me, The Change’ campaign, shows however that India’s young women voters do not feel safe on the streets after dark.

The survey looks at the wants and aspirations of 5,000 first-time women voters in the country.

Walk Around Outside After Dark? Not Really

Sixteen percent of young women surveyed said that they feel extremely unsafe walking on the streets after dark. Thirty five percent said that they feel somewhat unsafe walking on the streets after dark.

Only 19 percent said that they feel safe.

In big cities and villages, more than one-third of young women feel somewhat unsafe (33 percent and 40 respectively), while in towns it is much lower, at 25 percent.

Report Physical Harassment? Yes!

Three-fourth of all young women will approach the police if they face physical harassment.

In cities, 84 percent women said that they would do so, while in towns and villages, the percentage of women who said they would go to the police is slightly lower, at 72 percent.

Of all the young women surveyed, more unmarried women said that they would complain to the police in cases of physical harassment.

What Do They Think About Crimes Against Women?

Twenty five percent of all young women surveyed said that they feel crimes against women have decreased in the last three four years, while 20 percent of them said they felt that there has been no difference.

However, 50 percent of young women said they believe that instances of crimes against women have increased.

In big cities, the percentage of young women who felt that crimes have increased is 63 percent, while a comparatively lesser 48 percent and 49 percent of young women in villages and towns respectively thought the same.