Dia Mirza urges immediate steps to ensure girls’ safety in public spaces on National Girl Child and tourism day

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• Dia Mirza calls for gender-sensitive measures for girls' safety on Girl Child Day
• She highlights that 40% of urban Indian women feel unsafe in their own cities
• Advocates demand safer spaces, improved lighting, and zero-tolerance for harassment.

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Indian actor, producer, and UN Goodwill Ambassador Dia Mirza has spotlighted the critical connection between girls’ safety and freedom of movement, using National Girl Child Day and National Tourism Day to issue a strong call for gender-sensitive action. In her statement, Mirza emphasized that real progress in tourism and urban development is incomplete unless girls and women can navigate public spaces freely and without fear.

Talking to Instagram she wrote, “A girl who feels safe enough to travel independently today becomes the woman who will move through the world with confidence tomorrow. And yet, for far too many of our girls, public spaces come with a “safety tax” a price paid in fear, in lost time, in constantly calculating routes, clothes, hours… and in dreams that quietly shrink before they even take flight. “

She further added “As I mark National Girl Child Day and National Tourism Day, I feel this truth deeply: we cannot celebrate movement, exploration, and freedom while so many girls are still navigating the gap between mobility and fear."

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Dia Mirza’s statement highlights the stark gap between the ideals of exploration and the everyday realities faced by millions of girls and women, noting that mobility remains deeply unequal. Citing national and global data, she pointed out that 40% of women in urban India still feel unsafe in their own cities, while harassment among girls and young women under 24 continues to rise. On a global scale, UN Women estimates that up to 70% of women experience harassment in public spaces, a figure Mirza calls a “trust deficit” that confines a girl’s world before it can fully open.

Framing women’s safety as not just a social issue but an economic imperative, Mirza emphasized that fear-driven exclusion limits access to education, employment, and opportunity, ultimately slowing sustainable growth. With tourism contributing nearly 10% to the global GDP, she argued, inclusive mobility is essential for both social and economic progress.

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Mirza called for visible, measurable action, including improved street lighting, safer public transportation, and strict zero-tolerance policies against harassment. She concluded that creating safer cities for girls benefits everyone, making urban spaces more inclusive, equitable, and secure for all citizens.