CHENNAI: Two years after the Greater Chennai Corporation’s gender and policy lab conducted a baseline survey on the women’s perception regarding their safety and access to public spaces and transport in the city, the civic body is now set to engage a third-party consultant to perform a midline survey based on the findings of the earlier study, to understand how perception of women’s safety has changed over this period.
A private consultant will support the Gender and Policy Lab in conducting the study, developing a statistically representative sample across all zones and major transit hubs, covering a total of 3,000 respondents, including 2,400 women and 100 transgender persons.
Primary data on mobility patterns, public transport usage, experiences of harassment, perceptions of safety, and awareness and usage of emergency helplines will be digitally captured. The study will also include group discussions and in-depth interviews to gather qualitative insights.
The midline study, to be completed in six months, will be compared with baseline data collected in 2023 to identify changes, emerging trends and actionable policy recommendations.
The baseline study of 2023 focussed on women’s perceptions of safety in public spaces and transports, experiences of sexual harassment and reporting patterns, mobility trends and satisfaction across different modes of transport, the impact of free bus travel for women, and made suggestions to make public spaces safer and more accessible. They have also released a gender-inclusive design manual last year.
Speaking to TNIE, a corporation official said in recent years, several initiatives have been implemented to enhance women’s safety, including the installation of CCTV cameras in public spaces such as parks and bus stands. The civic body has also redesigned 3D-printed bus shelters to improve visibility for women commuters, installed high-mast lights in parks, and LED lighting in bus shelters.
In addition, 16 awareness programmes were conducted between November-end and December across the city. Even the MTC staff has been engaged for an interactive session on the importance of women’s safety in public transport. On women’s day celebrations, kolam-for-inclusivity contests were conducted, involving men’s participation, breaking gender norms.