Is it SAFE for Women to Travel India?
In my opinion, no, it is not safe for women to travel India. From Kashmir to Kaniyakumari, from Kutch to Arunachal, we cannot even count the number of crimes that have taken place against women. In, fact the point of concern here is, that gender discrimination is not the only reason behind the mistreating and misbehavior that has occurred with women all over India, no matter local or foreign tourist. People have treated women all over the Indian map in absolutely unimaginable and shattering ways on grounds of racial discrimination, regional disparity, riots and clan clashes, ‘women trying to refuse submission to men,’ robbery, loot, sexual intentions and various other reasons. It is nothing new to hear about rapes of girls and women belonging to minority groups in India in various offices, institutions, colleges or even just during their field trips. ‘Dalits,’ north-eastern women, Muslim women, etc. are mostly attacked all over the country on grounds of racial disparity or regional hatred. During the time span when riots took place in Delhi and a number of college students took part in protests against the governmental policies of CAA, NRC, many Hindu and Muslim girls were raped and abducted on various grounds.
Also, a number of local and foreign female tourists have been reportedly raped, molested, abducted, looted and robbed on their trips all around India by drivers, auto-rickshaw drivers, guides, travel agents and many other people who they asked for guidance or help during their tours. Many women have reportedly been kidnapped and went missing on their trips to India and still have not been found, many of which are believed to be killed after being raped or robbed. This is one main reason why India is supposedly the 9th most unsafe ad dangerous country for women as declared and ranked by Forbes. This is not only the matter of safety for women but also the gender gap and gender divide along with India’s reputation in front of the world. Despite having the most beautiful of tourist spots in the world, India is still one of the most dangerous countries for women as well as tourists, hence India is losing out on reputation, profits and a large number of other advantages. We must now take strict actions against these defaulters who have made India so unsafe which is why woman cannot travel safely and freely in India.
A woman myself,
Shubhangini Shaktawat