'Majority of working women in India feel unsafe after dark'

Majority of women surveyed by Assocham said they feel unsafe, especially during night shifts, in all major economic hubs across the country.

Most of them are employed in sectors like BPO/ITeS, hospitality, civil aviation and nursing homes, it said.

TAKE THE SURVEY: Fear of rape for women @work?

"About 92 per cent of working women feel insecure, especially during night in all major hubs of economic activities across the country especially in key segments such as BPO/ITeS, hospitality, civil aviation and nursing homes," the survey said.

The chamber surveyed about 5,000 women working in large, medium and small-scale companies in National Capital Region, Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune and Hyderabad.

Public transport, buses and roadsides are reported as spaces where women and girls face high levels of sexual harassment, the study said.

The survey said women consistently demands suitable safety norms by the government as they feel that safety norms set up by their respective establishments are not adequate given the increase in crime, their insecurities and fears are only going up.

Both working and non-working women said that they are extremely worried and concerned as regards to their outside moments espcially after the sunset, it said.

It said about 56 per cent of such workforce in medium sector is quite apprehensive about their safety and security, particularly after the dark is set in.

"In sector specific cases BPO's and ITeS, travel and tourism and nursing homes, women employees are the most vulnerable and prone to both physical and non-physical attacks especially after their duty hours over," Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.

The statistics give a more shocking picture of the situation in Delhi city. "Once every 40 minutes, a woman is kidnapped and raped. There's sexual harassment to be faced by a woman on the city¿s streets once every hour and molestation happens every 25 minutes," the survey said.

... contd.

ALSO READ

FinMin probing pipe imports from China, Italy

After lull, highway projects see aggressive bid offers

Govt aims to bring down CAD to 2.5% by 12th Plan-end, says Montek

Raghuram Rajan not in favour of sovereign bond to finance CAD