Is Women’s Safety in India a Joke? Understanding the Law, Reality and Need for Change

Is the safety of women in India a joke?

Although it is a challenging question, recent events in many regions of the nation make it hard to ignore.

From an alleged sexual assault involving a bus driver and conductor in Uttar Pradesh to reports of violence against women in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Odisha, to a teenage girl allegedly being sexually assaulted in a public park in Delhi to a minor allegedly being assaulted by men while travelling from coaching classes in Bihar. These are not the same incidents. They involve various situations, places, and accused criminals. While some investigations have led to arrests, court cases, or convictions, others are still ongoing.

However, they pose a similar query: Are regulations sufficient to ensure the women safety of women and girls?

Rape, sexual assault, stalking, voyeurism, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and crimes against children are all covered by India’s extensive legal system. Different levels of legal protection are offered by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012 (POCSO), Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, and Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.  

Making sure these laws function properly prior to, during, and following an offense is the true challenge.

RECENT INCIDENTS ACROSS INDIA

Examining current examples from various regions of India clarifies the conversation on women’s safety. These incidents shouldn’t be interpreted as evidence that every institution or public space is dangerous. Nonetheless, these are significant illustrations of the hazards and institutional issues that persist.

1-    Kalkaji, Delhi: Alleged Gang Rape in Aastha Kunj Park

In Delhi’s Aastha Kunj Park, close to Kalkaji, one of the most well-publicised recent incident took place.

Based on police and media accounts, a 17-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by three men who are said to have pretended to be police officers. Reports indicate the incident too place on September 21, 2026, after the girl and her male friend went into the park. The three accused individuals were all taken into custody. The case was filed under the provisions of the BNS and the POCSO Act. On October 1, reports said the survivor identified all three accused during a Test Identification Parade. The investigation is still in progress. The case also drew attention to the state of the park.

Reports discovered that:

The park’s entry and exit gates has no CCTV cameras;

Sections of the boundary wall had caved in;

A number of gates were left unguarded; and

Lighting after dusk was insufficient.

This highlights a significant concern. Women’s safety involves more than punishing criminals after an offence has occurred.  It is also a matter of preventive infrastructure. When a public park suffers from poor lighting, weak surveillance and insufficient security, authorities ought to look into those weaknesses before a serious incident happens.

2-    Jamui, Bihar: teenagers assaulted while returning from coaching

On September 19, 2026, a teenage boy and girl were reportedly stopped and encircled by a group of men as they returned from coaching classes in Jamui, Bihar.

Reports indicate that the boy was physically attacked, while the girl was allegedly molested. Videos capturing the incident subsequently surfaced on social media. Police filed a case under the POCSO Act and arrested several accused, with the investigation still ongoing. This incident brings up two distinct concerns. The first concern is the alleged assault itself. Young people ought to be able to travel to and from educational institutions without facing, intimidation or sexual violence. The second concern is the circulation of the video. Recording an offence can at times, supply crucial evidence. However, sharing footage of a sexual assault on social media is a completely different matter. When the survivor is a minor, safeguarding her identity becomes especially important. This incident thus shows that digital responsibility is now part of women’s and children’s safety.

3-    Samastipur, Bihar: Another reported harassment incident

Just days after the incident in Jamui, another case came to light in Samastipur, Bihar. Police sources quoted by The Indian Express say that a girl who was travelling with a boy stopped on a bypass road to take photographs, when three men allegedly surrounded and harassed her. A video that allegedly captured the incident was also share widely. Because the Jamui and Samastipur reports occurred so close together in time, public debate about women’s safety in Bihar was revived. Yet these incidents also point to something larger: harassment in public does not always take place in isolated or deserted spots. It can occur on roads, around educational areas, in markets, and in other everyday places.

4-    Greater Noida and Delhi: Alleged assault inside a bus

Another grave incident concerned a 16-year-old girl who, as per a report taken up by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), was allegedly gang-raped by a bus driver and conductor after she boarded a bus from Greater Noida in August 2026. The NHRC took suo moto cognizance of the incident as reported and sent notices to police authorities in Delhi, Gautam Bugh Nagar and Mainpuri, requesting details on the investigation and any compensation provided. This case brings to light a different aspect of women’s safety: Safety while using public transport. Women and girls ought to be able to travel on buses, trains, taxis and other forms of public transport without having to assume that those tasked with transporting them might themselves be a threat. Transport safety thus calls for: verification and monitoring of drivers; emergency mechanisms that actually work; CCTV where appropriate; tracking and route monitoring; complaint systems that are accessible; and swift police investigation when an emergency is reported.

5-    Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh: Gang-rape reported, followed by suicide

In September 2026, the NHRC likewise took suo moto cognizance of a reported case in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, concerning a 19-year-old-women who allegedly took her own life after being gang-raped. As per the NHRC, the woman was allegedly attacked by six individuals, three of whom were minors. The report further mentioned that she was allegedly threatened with the circulation os a video of the assault. The NHRC requested from the District Magistrate and the Senior Superintendent of Police regarding the investigation and compensation. This case brings to light the devastating intersection between sexual violence, threats, digital abuse, psychological trauma, institutional response. It also shows why support for victims cannot stop once an FIR has been filed.

6-    Banswara, Rajasthan: Public Humiliation and Violence

Women’s safety does not concern rape alone. In September 2026, a 40-year-old tribal woman in Banswara, Rajasthan, was reportedly stripped and attacked in public after relatives allegedly questioned her character. A video of the incident spread online, and multiple people were arrested. The incident points to another significant issue: Violence against women can be carried out by people the victim knows. Public conversations tend to center on strangers lurking in dark streets. Yet violence against women can also take place: within families, between acquaintances, in workplaces, in educational institutions, in neighbourhoods, and within intimate or domestic relationships. This, women’s safety cannot be achieved merely by installing CCTV cameras on roads.

7-    Bengaluru, Karnataka: Alleged sexual assault and blackmail

In Bengaluru, a woman alleged that a doctor sexually assaulted her after using pepper spray, and later blackmailed her using photographs and videos. An FIR was registered, and the case was transferred for investigation under the applicable provisions, including the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, on the basis of the complainant’s allegations. The case illustrates yet another form of contemporary sexual violence: sexual assault paired with digital blackmail. The threat of sharing photographs or videos can in itself serve as a means of control.

8-    Maharashtra: Conviction in a child sexual abuse case

Not every recent development concerns an alleged offence. In September 2026, a special court in Pimpri-Chinchwad sentenced a man to 20 years’ imprisonment for the rape and sexual abuse of a five-year-old girl. The prosecution relied on provisions of the BNS and POCSO Act. This serves as a significant remainder that the justice system can deliver accountability through investigation, prosecution and conviction. The wider question is whether comparable institutional effectiveness can be achieved consistently across cases.

9-    Odisha: NHRC investigation a reported gang-rape case

In Odisha, the NHRC requested a new status report regarding the alleged kidnapping and gang-rape of a recently married woman in Kendrapada. The Commission asked for details about the investigation, arrests and compensation for the victims. As per the report submitted to the Commission, the women was allegedly abducted in 2025 and later rescued. This shows the part that institutions like the NHRC can play in tracking serious allegations and demanding accountability from authorities.

A NATIONAL PROBLEM OR A PROBLEM OF IMPLEMENTATION?

These incidents arise from various states and differing circumstances. Yet they give rise to recurring questions:

Are public spaces properly secured?

Is policing preventive enough?

Are complaints filed and investigated without delay?

Are survivors treated with dignity?

Is evidence presented correctly?

Are children properly protected?

Are public transport systems monitored adequately?

Are institutions enforcing workplace safety laws?

Are digital platforms being misused to further victimise survivors?

Are authorities held accountable when preventable safety failures occur?

These questions are more useful than merely asking whether India has “enough laws.”

INDIA HAS MULTIPLE LAWS THAT FUNCTION AT VARIUOS LEVELS

1-    Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

The BNS took place of the Indian Penal Code and came into effect on July 1, 2024. It includes provisions that address offences against women, such as: rape, gang rape, assault or criminal force against women, sexual harassment, assault with intent to disrobe, voyeurism, and stalking. For instance, Section 75 addresses sexual harassment, whereas Section 76-78 cover assault with intent to disrobe, voyeurism and stalking in that order. The BNS further includes provisions on rape and gang rape, along with aggravated circumstances involving minors.

2-   Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012

The POCSO Act establishes a dedicated legal framework to protect children from sexual offences. It addresses offences such as: penetrative sexual assault, aggravated penetrative sexual assault, sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, sexual harassment, and using children for pornographic purposes. It also makes provision for Special Courts to try offences under the Act. This law tales on particular significance in cases involving minors, such as the recent Jamui and Kalkaji incidents.

3-    Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

Criminal law is not solely about defining offences. The justice system also calls for procedures for: reporting, investigation, evidence collection, prosecution, trial. The BNSS includes procedural safeguards and provisions related to investigation and the recording of information in specifies offences against women. As a result, an effective women’s safety system needs both: substantive criminal law and effective criminal procedure.

4-    Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013

The POSH Act establishes a legal framework for preventing and addressing sexual harassment in the workplace. It offers mechanisms such as: internal committees, local committees, complaint procedures, inquiry mechanisms, interim measures, and action following inquiry. Yet merely having an Internal Committee on paper is not sufficient. Employees need to know: Whom can they complain to? How will their complaint be handled? Will their identity be protected? Will they face retaliation?

5-    Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005

Safety for women likewise starts within the home. The Protection of women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 establishes a framework to protect women who face domestic violence in domestic relationships. This matters because women’s safety should not be confined to streets and public spaces. A women may also be unsafe within her own home.                                              The Supreme Court’s recent intervention – the matter now come before the country’s highest court. On September 28, 2026, the Supreme Court registered “In Re: Recent Rape Incidents in Delhi NCR”, a suo moto criminal matter concerning recent rape incidents in the National Capital Region. Reports of the proceedings indicate that the court voiced concerns about accountability and safety of public spaces, including matters such as lighting, surveillance and policing. This development matters because it moves the discussion past individual criminal cases. It poses a broader institutional question: Who is responsible for making public spaces safe before a crime takes place?

WHY DO WOMEN STILL FEEL UNSAFE DESPITE HAVING LAWS?

1-    Law and implementation are different things – A law can provide punishment. It cannot install a streetlight, patrol a park, monitor a bus, or guarantee that every victim will receive sensitive treatment. What matters is implementation.

2-     Preventive policing requires attention – Police frequently only become visible once an offence has occurred. Yet women’s safety also calls for preventive policing. This may involve routine patrols, mapping of hotspots, surveillance of vulnerable areas, swift emergency response, community-based policing, safety audits, and coordination with local authorities.

3-  Public infrastructure is important – The Kalkaji case shows why infrastructure cannot be overlooked. A thorough public-safety audit ought to look at: lighting, CCTV, gates that function, perimeter walls, systems for emergency calls, access to public transport, police presence, safe routes for walking, and night-time accessibility.

4-    The blaming of victims has to end – A major social issue is the habit of asking: “Why was she in that place?” What society ought to ask instead is: “Why did the offender think they had the right to violate another person’s rights?” Inquiries about clothing, timing, place or relationships can divert attention from the alleged offender. Safety guidance can be helpful, yet it must not turn into a means of shifting responsibility from perpetrators onto victims.

5-     Sexual harassment must not be treated as normal – Safety for women does not start with rape. It can start with: stalking, unwanted touching, sexual remarks, trailing women, indecent messages, threats, voyeurism, sharing images without consent, and repeated unwanted contact. When such behaviours are brushed off as harmless jokes, society can foster conditions in which harassment becomes normalised.  

6-    Digital safety is now women’s safety – A number of recent cases show how videos and social media contribute to sexual violence. The law must therefore be paired with digital responsibility. People should not: spread videos of assaults, reveal the identities of minor survivors, share intimate photographs without consent, turn victims into viral content, or use recordings to humiliate survivors. Evidence should be preserved and given to the appropriate authorities instead of being circulated for entertainment.

WHAT SHOULD SOCIETY DO TO IMPROVE WOMEN’S SAFETY?

1-    Start teaching consent and respect at an early age – Schools and colleges ought to hold discussions about: consent, personal boundaries, respectful relationships, gender equality, digital behaviour, sexual harassment, and the consequences of unlawful conduct. The safety of women cannot rest solely on instructing girls how to steer clear of dangerous situations. Boys and men should likewise be taught how not to create such situations.

2-    Carry out safety audits on regular basis – Every city ought to pinpoint public locations that are vulnerable. Authorities can inspect these on a regular basis: parks, streets, metro stations, bus stop, college grounds, marketplaces, parking lots, and public restrooms. A safety audit ought not to take place only once a serious crime has occurred.

3-    Enhance safety on public transport – Transport authorities ought to concentrate on: verification of drivers and conductors, CCTV in suitable locations, GPS tracking, emergency communication, monitoring of routes, complaint mechanisms, and swift coordination with police. A women should be able to travel on public transport without regarding every trip as a risk calculation.

4-    Reinforce police training – Police officers wo handle sexual offences should undergo specialised            training in: working with survivors, protection of children, preservation of evidence, cyber-crime,           forensic methods, gender awareness, and trauma-informed inquiry.  

5-    Hold institutions to account – Safety should not be judged by how many posters declare “Women are safe here.” It should instead be judged by practical indicators, such as, Do CCTV systems actually work? Are emergency calls picked up? Are complaints being registered? Are investigations making progress? Are vulnerable areas being inspected? Are Internal Committees operating effectively? Are repeat offenders being monitored? Are victims getting the support and compensation available to them? What can ordinary citizens do? Women’s safety is not the government’s responsibility alone. Society, too, has a part to play.

HERE’S WHAT WE CAN DO:

Step in safely when we see harassment happening, contact emergency services when it’s needed, refrain from sharing videos of victims, safeguard the identity of minors, stand with survivors rather than blaming them, report stalking and harassment, push back against sexist jokes and the normalisation of harassment, educate children about consent and boundaries, push for safer public infrastructure, and hold institutions accountable through lawful means. Yet citizens should not be expected to take the place of the police or the justice system.  

WOMEN SHOULD NOT HAVE TO LIVE BY A SAFETY CHECKLIST

For years, women have been told: Don’t travel alone, don’t come home late, don’t go into isolated places, share your location, carry pepper spray, make a phone call to someone during your journey, certain precautions can definitely be helpful. However, there is a distinction between being aware of one’s personal safety and putting the whole responsibility of stopping sexual violence on women. Even a woman who takes every safety measure can still end up a victim. So, the answer cannot merely be: “Women should be more careful.” It also has to be: “Society must become safer.”

CONCLUSION: The real question is accountability

So, is the safety of women in India a joke? This cannot be answered with a straightforward yes or no. India has numerous laws dealing with sexual violence, harassment, stalking, voyeurism, domestic violence and crimes against children. The issue is that written law and day-to-day safety are not equivalent. Recent cases from Delhi, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Odisha reveal various aspects of the problem from unsafe public places and alleged violence on public transport to domestic and community violence, digital blackmail and the sharing of assault videos.

The Supreme Couts’s move to hear recent Delhi-NCR rape incidents also shows that the matter has gone past individual criminal cases into a wider conversation about public safety, preventive policing and institutional accountability. The answer, then, cannot be only harsher punishment. It also cannot be only more surveillance. It also cannot be additional limits placed on women’s freedom of movement. A real solution calls for multiple elements to function together: robust legislation, competent policing, safer infrastructure, accountable institutions, support for survivors, digital responsibility, education, societal transformation. Women ought to be able to study, work, travel, socialise and come home without fear dictating the limits of their freedom. The true gauge of women’s safety should not be the number of warnings we issue to women. It should be how well society prevents violence, addresses it, and holds offenders and responsible institutions to account. For women do not need a society that simply instructs them on how to survive. They are entitled to a society where they can live without constraint.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1-    Which laws primarily safeguard women in India?

Key legislation includes the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023; Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012; Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013; and Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.

2-    Are stalking and voyeurism treated as crimes under the BNS?

Yes, the BNS includes distinct provisions addressing stalking and voyeurism, as well as sexual harassment and other offences committed against women.  

3-        What makes POCSO significant?

POCSO establishes a dedicated legal framework for sexual offences involving children and provides for Special Courts to handle such cases.

4-    Is women’s safety solely a matter for the police?

No, it encompasses policing, criminal justice, urban planning, transportation, education, workplaces, families, digital platforms, and wider social attitudes.

5-    What should a person do when they have witnessed sexual violence?

When it is safe to do so, call the police or emergency services, assist the victim in getting to safety, keep any relevant evidence intact, and refrain from sharing videos or identifying details online.

SOURCES

• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — India Code.
• Supreme Court of India — In Re: Recent Rape Incidents in Delhi NCR, SMW(Crl) No. 6/2026.
• National Human Rights Commission — Greater Noida alleged sexual assault case.
• National Human Rights Commission — Jhansi reported gang-rape and suicide case.
• Recent reporting on the Jamui incident.
• Recent reporting on the Kalkaji/Aastha Kunj Park case.
• Recent reporting on the Samastipur incident.
• Recent reporting on cases in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Odisha.

The question of consent is equally important within marriage. Read consent after marriage in India: Understanding Marital Consent and the Law to learn more about the legal position and ongoing debates surrounding marital consent.