Experts call for cities designed for and by women to create a safer environment

Researchers, government officials, police, and women’s rights activists came together on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) to call for cities designed for and by women. Such designs would allow women to move around, access public spaces, and participate in economic activities in a safe environment, they argued.

The national consultation was organised to mark 15 years of the UN Women’s Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces initiative.

“Safe cities are no longer only about preventing violence but about how women move around cities, access public spaces and participate in economic activities,” Rajib Kumar Sen, Programme Director, NITI Aayog, said.

“In India’s women-led development, there is an opportunity to make city planning more inclusive, to build a virtuous cycle enabling women’s meaningful access to cities,” he added.