Public Transport's Failing Safeguards: A Global Crisis for Women
Millions of women worldwide rely on public transport every day, making calculated decisions about their safety and comfort in crowded spaces. However, the stark reality is that more than 70 percent of women face sexual harassment in these areas, with France being no exception. The number of reported victims of sexual violence on public transport in France has skyrocketed by an alarming 86 percent over nearly a decade, with 91 percent of those affected being women.
This unacceptable trend highlights the need for a comprehensive examination of why public transport fails to prioritize women's safety. Research suggests that despite their higher reliance on public transport compared to men, these systems are woefully unadapted to meet women's needs. A lack of adequate infrastructure, inadequate security measures, and a culture that condones harassment create an environment where women feel vulnerable.
The recent attempted rape of a woman on a Paris commuter train serves as a poignant reminder of the gravity of this issue. The incident sparked outrage and led to a petition calling for the introduction of women-only carriages in cities like Tokyo, Mexico, and India – countries already grappling with similar challenges. While these measures may seem radical, they represent a long-overdue acknowledgment that public transport's existing structures are fundamentally inadequate.
Leslie Kern, urbanist, speaker, and writer, sheds light on this pressing issue. In her book "Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World", she argues that cities must be designed with women's needs at the forefront. Kern emphasizes that the lack of accountability, dilapidated infrastructure, and pervasive harassment create an environment where women are forced to navigate treacherous public spaces.
The 51 percent paradox – where more than half of women worldwide experience some form of harassment on public transport – is a stark reminder that our existing systems are failing us. It's time for cities to prioritize the creation of safe, accessible, and inclusive public transport systems that cater to the diverse needs of all users. Anything less would be a betrayal of our collective responsibility to ensure that everyone can move freely and safely through our cities.
Millions of women worldwide rely on public transport every day, making calculated decisions about their safety and comfort in crowded spaces. However, the stark reality is that more than 70 percent of women face sexual harassment in these areas, with France being no exception. The number of reported victims of sexual violence on public transport in France has skyrocketed by an alarming 86 percent over nearly a decade, with 91 percent of those affected being women.
This unacceptable trend highlights the need for a comprehensive examination of why public transport fails to prioritize women's safety. Research suggests that despite their higher reliance on public transport compared to men, these systems are woefully unadapted to meet women's needs. A lack of adequate infrastructure, inadequate security measures, and a culture that condones harassment create an environment where women feel vulnerable.
The recent attempted rape of a woman on a Paris commuter train serves as a poignant reminder of the gravity of this issue. The incident sparked outrage and led to a petition calling for the introduction of women-only carriages in cities like Tokyo, Mexico, and India – countries already grappling with similar challenges. While these measures may seem radical, they represent a long-overdue acknowledgment that public transport's existing structures are fundamentally inadequate.
Leslie Kern, urbanist, speaker, and writer, sheds light on this pressing issue. In her book "Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World", she argues that cities must be designed with women's needs at the forefront. Kern emphasizes that the lack of accountability, dilapidated infrastructure, and pervasive harassment create an environment where women are forced to navigate treacherous public spaces.
The 51 percent paradox – where more than half of women worldwide experience some form of harassment on public transport – is a stark reminder that our existing systems are failing us. It's time for cities to prioritize the creation of safe, accessible, and inclusive public transport systems that cater to the diverse needs of all users. Anything less would be a betrayal of our collective responsibility to ensure that everyone can move freely and safely through our cities.
70% of women on public transport in France are getting sexually harassed, what's going on? 
Shouldn't there be better safety measures like separate carriages or improved lighting? I don't get why it's still like that in 2025... 
What's next? Women-only carriages? It sounds like a pipe dream 
. We should be focusing on improving security measures and infrastructure, not segregating women from the rest of us 
. And what about the men who are getting harassed too? Shouldn't we be addressing that issue as well? 
I just don't see how segregating women is going to solve anything... or make me feel any safer 
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I'm so over this supposed solution of women-only carriages... how's that gonna work in reality? Who decides who gets in and who doesn't? What about people with disabilities or families with young kids? It just seems like a Band-Aid fix to me 
. Need some actual data on how effective these things are before I get on board with it.
We need to do better, like, seriously. Cities should be designed with women's needs at the forefront, not just some afterthought 
. It's time for change and I'm so grateful for people like Leslie Kern who are speaking out about this issue 
. We can make a difference if we work together to create safe and accessible public transport systems that cater to everyone 
.
... it's crazy how something like that can happen in broad daylight, right? Anyway, I've been saying this for ages – public transport needs to be designed with women's safety in mind 
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. It's time for us to take a hard look at our public transport systems and ask ourselves if they're really serving the needs of all users. If not, then we need to fix it 
. I mean, 51 percent of women worldwide experiencing harassment on public transport is just too high – it's an epidemic that needs to be addressed ASAP 
. We need to work together to create safe, accessible public transport that everyone can rely on 
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. With over 70% of women facing sexual harassment, it's clear that existing infrastructure and security measures are not doing enough to protect them 
. Introducing women-only carriages might seem radical, but it's about time cities acknowledge their responsibility to create safe spaces for all users 
. Cities need to be designed with women's needs at the forefront and create accountability for those who perpetuate harassment 
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. We need better infrastructure, more security measures & a culture shift ASAP 
. It's not just about women's safety, it's about everyone's right to move freely & safely through our cities 
. Like, what even is the point of having a reliable public transport system if it's just gonna put women at risk? 
. We need to do better 
you know what's crazy? i was talking to my friend about this the other day, and we were like, "have you ever noticed how some public transport places have those weird seats that fold up?" like, what even is that for? 
like, I was just thinking we need to rethink how our cities are designed 
and the numbers are still way off from what's needed 
did you know that in 2020, there were over 130 million cases of sexual harassment reported on public transport worldwide 
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. We can't just sit back and let women (or anyone else) be forced to navigate treacherous spaces on their way to basic necessities 
france is doin the right thing by prioritizing women's safety but its about time other countries follow suit 
. Cities should be designed with women in mind, not just men 
. It's not fair that we have to deal with this stuff every day