Survey on public transport safety: 87pc women say they’re harassed

An online survey of over 5,000 women spread across 24 districts in the country has revealed that nearly 87 percent of them have faced some form of harassment at least once in their lives.

The findings also revealed that 36 percent women face sexual harassment regularly on public transport, like buses, launches and trains, and at terminals. As such, more than half, 57 percent, of the respondents consider public transport as the most unsafe.

Other than public transport, streets, shopping malls, and online platforms too happen to be places where women have been targeted.

The United Nations Development Programme (Bangladesh), National Human Rights Commission, and Centre for Research and Information jointly conducted the survey in May-June this year and published the results yesterday.

They reached out to 5,187 women in the districts through various mediums such as social media, text message, and email.

The survey has also revealed that they were harassed the most during the day. A whopping 52 percent said they were harassed during day with most incidents concentrated in the afternoons.

The bleakest of all findings, however, is the response to the harassment. Only 36 percent protested when they were harassed and only 1 percent went to law enforcers after the incident, a reflection of the stigma and lack of social or legal support extended to victims.

This is also reflected in the help extended by onlookers to women being harassed. The survey revealed that 44 percent victims were not provided any help while they were being harassed in public.

When asked why public places were unsafe, 48 percent respondents said a lack of respect towards women was the sole reason, 19 percent said overcrowded public transport was to blame, and 10 percent believe that the absence of appropriate laws was a potential reason.