TAKING STRIDES TOWARDS SAFETY: OUR RESEARCH

How can a simple walk reveal the safety of a public space? Consider the contrast between an isolated street and one bustling with vendors, people, and vibrant activity. The latter often feels safer – more people mean more activity, which generally translates to greater security.

In 2022, Akshara Centre trained 22 MAVIM (Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal Maharashtra) CMRC Managers and Sayoginis in Women’s Safety and Safety Audit Methodology through a Training of Trainers in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development. This initiative aimed to equip these managers with the tools to conduct safety audits and advocate for safer public spaces.

Click to watch our animated film on Safety Walks for students:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8o6t1jCdn4

In 2024, we went further and undertook a well-researched safety and infrastructure audit of 14 subways in Mumbai, presenting the findings to the Advisory Committee on Gender (ACG).

“Walking for Women’s Safety: A Manual for Making Our City Safe” by Akshara Centre serves as a comprehensive guide to addressing sexual harassment in public spaces through community-led initiatives. It introduces Women’s Safety Audits as a participatory approach to identifying and mitigating unsafe areas within cities.

The document emphasises how harassment limits women’s mobility, choices, and opportunities, and underscores the need for collective action to challenge these restrictions. It outlines the methodology for conducting Women’s Safety Audits, which involve mapping unsafe areas, engaging with local residents, and identifying infrastructural and social factors contributing to insecurity. It provides facilitators with step-by-step instructions, including training sessions for participants, tools for data collection, and strategies for presenting findings to local authorities to advocate for change. Additionally, the document offers practical resources such as checklists, discussion prompts, and recommendations for addressing the findings of safety audits.

For a copy of the report, please write to sarahv@aksharacentre.org