{
  "id": 9661818,
  "title": "Don’t ask women to shrink, secure their space",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/dont-ask-women-to-shrink-secure-their-space",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-25T00:30:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/delhi-women-safety-nirbhaya-fund-crime-10892874/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Four years after a young woman and a friend faced a horrific ordeal in December 2012, the issue of women's safety remains a pressing concern. The recent gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in Southeast Delhi has reignited debates, with students from Lady Shri Ram College and other Delhi University institutions lamenting ongoing issues such as poorly lit streets, insufficient police presence, and unsafe pedestrian routes. National Crime Records Bureau data reveals that Delhi experienced 13,396 crimes against women in 2024, with 1,058 being rape cases, the highest among 19 tracked metro cities. The persistence of these vulnerabilities indicates a lack of effective implementation, maintenance, and accountability, rather than insufficient laws or schemes.\n\nThe Nirbhaya Fund, established to finance initiatives aimed at enhancing women's safety, including public infrastructure improvements, has remained underutilized. Following the latest incident, three men have been apprehended. The Delhi Lieutenant Governor has ordered a safety audit of parks across the city and the deployment of pink booths, police assistance kiosks primarily managed by women personnel. These measures, while intended to be standard, have been lacking.\n\nThe accused's act of pretending to be policemen when apprehending the survivor and her friend highlights another critical issue: the presence of moral policing by police in public spaces, which facilitated the deception. As more women participate in public life, it is crucial to shift from a paternalistic approach to one that empowers and enables them. This involves ensuring functional streetlights, usable footpaths, reliable late-night public transport, operational CCTV systems, efficient emergency response mechanisms, and regular safety audits. Additionally, society must question and redefine notions of masculinity. While DU attracts students from across the country, women should not be forced to limit their activities due to safety concerns. They should be able to fully participate in society, working late, traveling alone, meeting friends, protesting, or simply walking home without constantly feeling vulnerable. The true indicator of women's empowerment is not merely the frequency with which the term \"nari shakti\" is used, but whether women can genuinely enjoy the same freedom in public spaces that men take for granted.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Four years after 2012 gang rape, women's safety remains a pressing concern.",
    "Delhi recorded 13,396 crimes against women in 2024, with 1,058 being rape cases.",
    "Delhi Lieutenant Governor orders safety audit of parks and deployment of pink booths."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The push for women's safety measures, including infrastructure improvements and redefining masculinity, signals a shift towards empowering women to participate fully in public life without feeling vulnerable.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}