News18 She Shakti Suraksha Survey 2025 survey looks at women safety across parameters

The survey will be conducted annually to track progress and guide targeted interventions.

Ahead of the International Women's Day 2025, the She Shakti Suraksha Survey conducted by CNN-News18 and P-Value will measure Indian women's safety perceptions in various settings. The results will be declared on March 7.

The survey aims at being a strategic tool for policymakers and will be conducted annually to track progress and guide targeted interventions. 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.

What are the key issues addressed in the survey?

Safety across cities: The survey looks 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.

Security in local community: The neighbourhood safety segment in the survey looks at women’s sense of security within their local community. Women are asked about the availability of women-friendly infrastructure such as secure restrooms, CCTV cameras, and adequate lighting, and reflect on the community’s efforts to ensure their protection.

The survey also questions these women on whether they have perceived improvements in neighbourhood safety over the past two years. It also focuses on women’s comfort levels when walking alone at night  in order to show how community awareness impacts women’s mobility and sense of security.

 Transportation: The survey examines the women-friendliness of public transportation systems. It also looks at the presence of dedicated features such as women-only coaches, reserved seats, clear complaint mechanisms, and the availability of female security personnel. It also compares safety perceptions across different transportation modes including public transit and ride-hailing apps.

Safety at workplace: The survey examines this via a multifaceted lens by  assessing women’s feelings of security within professional environments. It also explores the broader institutional efforts to protect women. Implementation and effectiveness of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) policies is also a key focus.

Educational institution safety: The educational safety segment explores women’s experiences within academic environments. It looks at their overall sense of safety and confidence in institutional response mechanisms. The survey tries to  understand the support systems that contribute to women’s sense of security in educational spaces.

Past trauma: This segment focuses on women’s direct experiences with harassment. By documenting incidents of harassment in public spaces in the last one year, the survey captures 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.

Demographics:   The survey explores various demographic variables by capturing age, education level, marital status, and household monthly income. The report presents findings across these domains using a 5-point Likert scale.