7% women harassed in public spaces last year: News18 She Shakti Suraksha Survey 2025

The survey also looked at safety levels across Indian cities during different times of day.

Seven per cent of women said they encountered some form of harassment in public spaces over the last one year, according to CNN-News18 She Shakti Suraksha Survey 2025.

Ahead of International Women's Day 2025, the survey was released on Friday. The survey stated that 60% of reported cases were verbal incidents. Psychological harassment followed at 25%, while physical harassment was reported by 17% of respondents. Economic harassment was cited by 12%, and sexual harassment constituted 3% of incidents. The survey stated that sexual harassment was the least of the reported cases.

The survey, which currently covers 21 cities, plans to expand to 100 cities. The data, 10 different Indian languages, was collected through Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) using random sampling of 400 respondents per city.

The survey also looked at safety levels across Indian cities during different times of day. The respondents have been asked to rate how safe they feel during both day and night. Through these questions, the research aims to identify the top three safest and most unsafe cities.

Here are the key findings.

•7% of women reported experiencing harassment in public spaces in the past one year

•60% faced verbal harassment

•25% experienced psychological harassment

•17% faced physical harassment

•12% experienced economic harassment

•3% faced sexual harassment

Also, by documenting incidents of harassment in public spaces in the last one year, the survey captured the real-world safety challenges faced by women. The survey encourages them to share their experiences by specifying locations and reporting the frequency of direct harassment.

The survey also looked at safety levels across Indian cities during different times of day. The respondents have been asked to rate how safe they feel during both day and night. Through these questions, the research aims to identify the top three safest and most unsafe cities.