Meeran Chadha Borwankar, IPS and Author
Is Mumbai the safest city for women in India? This is often talked about, especially amongst families sending their daughters to the commercial capital of the country or the girls and women deciding to do so on their own. Statistics are often referred to and sometimes perception too lead us to conclude about women being safe in Mumbai.
Both seem to be true in this case. As per ‘Crime in India- 2020’, published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the rate of crime against women per lakh of the population in Mumbai is 53.8. For Delhi it is 129.1 and for Bengaluru 67.3. Pune has a rate of 44.1 and Chennai seems the safest with 13.4 crimes against women per lakh of the population.
As for perception about the safety of women, during 2015-16. IDFC Institute (Mumbai) conducted a survey on ‘Safety Trends and Reporting of Crime’. They contacted 20,597 households across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. The survey shows that Delhi is the worst in terms of the perception of safety of women. 87% of respondents in Delhi start worrying about the safety of an unaccompanied woman if she is out of home after 9 pm. In Mumbai, only 30% households would worry for their women post 9 pm. The perception and the tendency to worry is low in the other two cities too, 54% in Bengaluru, and 48% in Chennai. Mumbai thus has the highest share of respondents who felt that women are safe in the city, though crime against women is lesser in Chennai. Since perception as well as the national statistics show Mumbai to be relatively safer for women, I wondered about the reasons. Not relying on my experience alone, I have discussed the issue with many friends and colleagues. Below are some of the reasons on which most agree.
The first and foremost is the social milieu and culture of Mumbai. Being a young city by Indian standards, the baggage of history does not exist. It has been a cosmopolitan from its inception. Women here are not burdened by the nightmares of invasions and loot and rape, which happened every few generations in the North. Where women were first moved indoors to keep them safe, and then that became the norm. In contrast, the oldest inhabitants of the Mumbai islands i.e. the Kolis, the Pathare Prabhus, and the Parsees had strong and forward-looking women who took to education and financial independence. The co-mingling of different cultures has also contributed to a nourishing and progressive atmosphere e.g. when a family with its women in purdah, arrived here, and saw a Parsee woman in a Western dress or a working Anglo-Indian girl, the former realized that everyone did not subjugate its womenfolk. Over a period of time, assertive, educated, and financially independent women created a safe environment for themselves. Mumbai’s literacy rate as per 2011census is – Male 92.56 %, Female 86.39 %. Women are aware of their rights and do not hesitate to visit police stations or meet senior government officers to register their complaints or protests. My interaction with highly respected activists e.g. late Mrinal Gore and Ahilya Rangnekar also revealed that Mumbai has fought a successful battle for gender equality and justice.
Secondly, Mumbai was at the forefront of industrial development in India, and that had its own equalizing and liberalizing effect. It continues to be the busy world of dreams. People here are intensely focused on work and toil hard to materialize their dreams. Local trains which are the lifelines of the metropolitan have approximately the same number of men and women rushing to and from work. Gender equality has become a natural ingredient of the world that has a very high proportion of women in the workforce though more in informal sectors. ‘Timepass’ & ‘whiling away’, common to boys in the other parts of the country are frowned upon. Young boys too are expected to contribute to the family kitty as life is expensive and tough. Therefore, eve teasing, and harassing girls on roads during day and night times are not the culture of the city.
Another reason that has emerged during my discussions is that Maharashtra, Gujrat, and southern states which contribute to the population of Mumbai are traditionally gender friendly. Their value systems and culture are ingrained with reverence for women. Citizens are also by and large law-abiding. That has also contributed to a safe atmosphere for women. In fact, many residents of Mumbai apprehend that migrants from northern states with lower respect for women may ‘pollute’ the gender-friendliness of the megapolis.
Anonymity is one more factor that has made Mumbai safe for women. The metropolitan is huge, and busy as it is, there is no time for ‘poking one’s nose’ into what is going around. Life is a roller coaster for all. Live and let live is the preferred way and one’s privacy is generally respected. Besides it is an ‘open society’ where sex is not a taboo and is discussed in a healthier manner than probably anywhere else in the country. As a result, there are fewer ‘repressed beings’ ogling at women or harassing them.
Last but not least is the contribution of Mumbai police and its professionalism that has greatly contributed to the safe and secure atmosphere. Recent controversies apart, most police officers belong to Maharashtra and have been brought up to respect gender. They take their duties seriously. Visibility of police is also very high. It may be because the island city has a smaller geographical area. Besides it has a very high presence of women in police and in other government departments too. This has led to an administration, both municipal and police, to be gender-responsive.
Though Mumbai is relatively safe, yet its underbelly of crime against women cannot be ignored. Deepening of collaboration between educational institutes, government agencies, non-government organizations and civil society for the safety of women is the way forward. Upgrading of infrastructure especially better street lighting, CCTV cameras, and deployment of modern technological tools can help. Feeling of safety of women can improve substantially if crimes against women are tried and concluded by courts within one year.
But the finest way to contribute to the safety and well-being of women is in bringing up children with the right value system at home. Mumbaikars are aware of it and hopefully doing more to further the cause of a safe, positive, and healthy environment for women.
Meeran Chadha Borwankar, IPS 1981, Maharashtra Cadre
