Over the last decade, there has been a recognition of the need for higher education, skill development programs and access to affordable finance in increasing women’s economic independence. While these are the key levers to build pathways for women’s labour force participation, an essential lever that often gets overlooked is a gender-integrated, safe and accessible public infrastructure.

Even though the most common form of violence is intimate partner violence, women’s concerns about harassment and experiences of the disconcerting male gaze in public spaces are palpable. These perennial, deeply embodied fears, explain why we see a very limited number of women and girls hanging out in public spaces even in metro cities that are assumed to be ‘safe.’ Activities such as spending time with friends in recreational spaces or relishing a chai on the street after work is not something that all working women - especially those who cannot afford the comfort of malls and coffee shops, feel free to engage in.

Shilpa Phadke, Shilpa Ranade and Sameera Khan’s book ‘Why loiter’ focused on women’s access and their need to reclaim public spaces. While political and economic visibility has marginally increased access, it has not automatically translated into greater rights to public space for women. These findings can be linked with a study published by Save the Children on the perceptions of girls’ safety which finds that one in three adolescent girls in India expect to be inappropriately touched or even stalked when they venture out in public, and more than a quarter feel they are at risk of being physically assaulted, including rape. Is it really a surprise then, that generally, most women have limited social capital and fewer networks compared to men in their community?

The question we need to foreground and reflect on is - What impact this constant fear of violence (both within and outside homes) has on women and girls’ decisions regarding higher education, aspirations and career choices?

As Anuradha Rajan mentions in her blog – ‘It is important to recognise that economic rights can be truly realised when women also have equal opportunities in education, are able to move about safely and when the environment is free of sexual harassment.' Studies undertaken by Women@Work highlight how often women may choose lower-paying jobs, and make career compromises because of fear of harassment and perceptions of safety.

This is a multi-layered challenge, not only infrastructure related but also related to mindsets and gender norms, that will require a multi-stakeholder and a strategic multi-dimensional approach. If we sincerely want to support women’s agency and economic independence, we (both State and Society) are all accountable to build a world where choices of higher education and career decision are not made based on perceived safety but instead, on opportunities for growth and progression, a world where women and girls can fully enjoy the benefits of learning and earning.

By Alifya Loharchalwala, Strategic Initiatives Lead at Gray Matters Capital

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