Survey Overview
In 2024, J-PAL South Asia conducted 10-minute surveys with women in Jaipur and Delhi to capture the prevalence of sexual harassment in public spaces in India.
Sample
- 1,899 women in Jaipur
- 2,093 women in Delhi
- Ages 19-40
- Surveyed in public spaces: bus stops, street markets, and metro (Delhi)
Key Findings
Prevalence
The numbers are stark: 1 out of 2 women in Jaipur experienced sexual harassment outside their home in the last year. In Delhi, the figure is even higher: 2 out of 3 women experienced harassment.
More specifically:
- 34% of women in Jaipur have been groped, stalked, flashed, or assaulted outside their home in the past year
- 42% of women in Delhi have been groped, stalked, flashed, or assaulted outside their home in the past year
Where Harassment Occurs
Women experience sexual harassment on the streets, in buses, in shops, and even at hospitals, colleges, and places of worship. Most sexual harassment occurs during daytime.
Location breakdown:
- 70% of women reported being harassed on the roadside
- 50% of women reported being harassed in public transport
- 42% of women faced harassment waiting for public transport
Impact on Women’s Lives
The psychological and practical impact is profound:
- 95% of women say they are anxious about being sexually harassed when they leave their home
- 2/3 of women feel extremely anxious about facing sexual harassment of some form when they travel outside their home
- The risk of sexual harassment affects women’s decisions about whether to work and where to work
- It significantly influences women’s decision-making processes
- It undermines women’s confidence and affects their work
- Women fear reporting incidents to the police
The Hidden Cost: Trade-offs Women Make for Safety
Fear of harassment forces women to make costly sacrifices in their daily lives:
- Education: Women are willing to choose a college that is 8.8% (or 5.8 ranks) lower in quality for additional safety
- Time: Women are willing to travel an additional 27 minutes daily or 40% more than their daily travel time for additional safety
- Money: Women are willing to travel by a route that costs INR 17,500 (USD 250) more per year as long as it is safer
Workplace Harassment
Sexual harassment extends into professional settings:
- 53% of women have been subject to sexual comments, gestures and jokes at the workplace
- More than 70% of respondents have felt uncomfortable at the workplace because of presence of a colleague
- 20% of respondents reported unwanted attempts by colleagues to engage in sexual activities
- 68.7% of individuals who experienced sexual harassment at work chose not to make a formal written or spoken complaint
Barriers to Reporting
Reasons why women do not report incidents to the police:
- Police would trivialize the matter
- Blame them for the incident
- Turn around and harass them
- Less than 8% of women knew of any helpline number to call if harassed in public spaces
- Six in ten respondents rely on informal networks for support in incidents of harassment
Why This Data Matters
These findings reveal the urgent need for evidence-based solutions. Despite the extent of the problem, quality data and solutions to tackle gender-based violence are missing. National surveys do not collect data on violence outside the home, and other survey estimates are a decade old.
This survey represents a critical step toward bridging the data gap and informing evidence-based interventions that can make a real difference in women’s lives.