Women's Safety and Security in the City of Mumbai

Abstract

Being financial and economic capital of India, no doubt the city of Mumbai is on the track to fulfilling the basic, economic and infrastructural needs of its residents. However, social growth is something that the city is lacking. Though Mumbai is known as a women’s friendly city, there are many inadequacies in the safety and security it provides to women. Considering this fact, based on both primary and secondary data, this theoretical paper is an attempt to understand the safety and security provided to slum dwelling, commuting and working women in the city. The study revealed that slum-dwelling women face stressful conditions due to the absence of toilet facilities, fear of demolition and violence against them. On the other hand, commuting women expect safety and security during their journey to work and also at their place of work. Though the state government and local governing bodies, police forces and individuals have taken steps to overcome the situation, there is a need of strengthening safety and security measures for the well-being of women in the city.