SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF YOUNG WOMEN IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN SONITPUR DISTRICT: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Keywords:
Young women, Sexual harassment, Public transportAbstract
Background: The majority of working women chose public transportation, as evidenced by the daily lives of people from all walks of life in cities. Unfortunately, they are vulnerable to verbal, physical, psychological, and financial harassment from their fellow passengers and bus operators during their route. Cases of this nature are rarely reported in the mainstream arenas. As a result, the current study is significant. Materials and Methods: In this regard, an assessment through a questionnaire based cross-sectional study of the prevalence and factors associated with sexual harassment while utilizing public transit in the Sonitpur district of Assam has been made. A stratified random sample of 600 young women who used public transportation was recruited. Results: 79.83% of all young women study participants have been harassed in the last six months. Unmarried women (76%) travelling by bus (76.67%) in the evenings (79.67%) were more vulnerable to being harassed by middle-aged (55%) fellow passengers (92%). Such incidents were higher in festive seasons (69%). Unfortunately, the cases were not reported. Conclusion: Sexual harassment on the transit is a major setback for working women and indirectly affects the country’s growth and development. This menace needs to be addressed aggressively.
References
World Health Organization. Violence against women [Internet]. 2021. Available from: https://www.who.int/ news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against women
Anand A, Tiwari G. A Gendered Perspective of the Shelter–Transport–Livelihood Link: The Case of Poor Women in Delhi. Transp Rev. 2006 Jan;26(1):63–80.
PAK: Rapid Assessment of Sexual Harassment In Public Transport and Connected Spaces in Karachi [Internet]. 2014. Available from: https://www.adb.org/ sites/default/files/project-document/152881/44067- 012-tacr-19.pdf
Saleem SM, Jan SS. Modified Kuppuswamy socioeconomic scale updated for the year 2021. Indian J Forensic Community Med. 2021 Apr 28;8(1):1–3.
Madan M, Nalla MK. Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces: Examining Gender Differences in Perceived Seriousness and Victimization. Int Crim Justice Rev. 2016 Jun;26(2):80–97.
Muteshi L, Abbott P. Kigali Safe City for Women and Girls: Baseline Survey Report. Institue of Policy Analysis and Reseach,Rwanda; 2013.
UN Women. Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces: Global Results Report [Internet]. 2017. Available from: https:/ /www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/ 2017/10/safe-cities-and-safe-public-spaces-global results-report
Mexico City’s transport ranked as most dangerous for women - global poll [Internet]. Thompson Reuters; 2014. Available from: https://www.reuters.com/article/ us-transport-women-poll-mexico-idUSKCN1NK059
Gautam N, Sapakota N, Shrestha S, Regmi D. Sexual harassment in public transportation among female student in Kathmandu valley. Risk Manag Healthc
Taylor AY. Action Aid. Women and the City: Examining the Gender Impact of Violence and Urbanization: A Comparative Study of Brazil, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Liberia, and Nepal [Internet]. 2011. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/34530289/Women_ and_ the_City_Examining_the_Gender_Impacts_ of_ Violence_and_Urbanisation
Sexual harassment of women and girls in public places: Government response to the Committee’s Sixth Report of Session 2017–19 [Internet]. House of Commons; 2019. Available from: https:// publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/
cmwomeq/2148/2148.pdf
Adikaram AS. “Unwanted” and “bad,” but not “sexual”: Non-labelling of sexual harassment by Sri Lankan working women. Pers Rev. 2016 Aug 1;45(5):806–26.
Chui WH, Ong R. Indecent assault on the public transport in Hong Kong. Int J Law Crime Justice. 2008 Mar;36(1):2–14.
Horii M, Burgess A. Constructing sexual risk: ‘Chikan’, collapsing male authority and the emergence of women-only train carriages in Japan. Health Risk Soc. 2012 Feb;14(1):41–55.
