{"id":679,"date":"2022-08-11T08:40:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-11T08:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nklusive.in\/blog\/?p=679"},"modified":"2026-01-07T10:39:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T10:39:29","slug":"lonely-woman-can-take-care-safety-big-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nklusive.in\/blog\/lonely-woman-can-take-care-safety-big-city\/","title":{"rendered":"How a Lonely Woman can Take Care of Her Safety in a Big City"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\u201cLook on your right, and look on your left. Watch your back.<\/p>\n

Always watch all around you when you cross a lonely stretch of road, especially in the evening darkness.<\/p>\n

Never walk while talking on mobile, without being fully alert.<\/p>\n

Always remember, no place is safe for women, even big cities.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nWhenever Sumana calls her mother at her home in Siliguri, she has got to hear these words.\n<\/p>\n

\nSumana Chatterjee works in an IT company in Kolkata. She lives alone in a one BHK apartment in Kolkata in a gated community.\n<\/p>\n

\nShe feels quite safe in her community.\n<\/p>\n

\nHowever, she cannot miss the increasing cases of violence toward women in all Indian cities. There are more cases than are exposed with screaming headlines in newspapers and TV channels.\n<\/p>\n

\nViolence toward women is a concern in all the big cities, and no city is bereft of this malaise.\n<\/p>\n

Crimes against Women are Increasing in almost Every City<\/h2>\n

\nWomen\u2019s safety is a big issue in India\u2019s buzzing metropolises. As night becomes darker, the city becomes more dangerous for women.\n<\/p>\n

\nDelhi is probably the most notorious big city with a massive number of criminal incidents. It seems that the number of violence against women is rising every year.\n<\/p>\n

\nEven last year, there has been a 17.51% surge in the number of rape cases<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe situation in the financial capital of India, Mumbai, is no better. Crimes against women are alarmingly going up here too.\n<\/p>\n

\nCrimes against women and children are on the rise in the city. According to the Mumbai Crime Report 2021<\/a>, 3,879 cases of crimes against women were registered in 2021 compared to 3,317 in 2020.\n<\/p>\n

\nLet\u2019s find out the situation in Bangalore, India\u2019s Silicon Valley.\n<\/p>\n

\nCrimes against women rose in Bangalore<\/a> in 2021 compared to 2020, although modestly. In spite of being the IT Capital of India and a highly educated population, the dark underbelly of violence against women is as alive as ever.\n<\/p>\n

\nInterestingly, according to the data released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2020, Kolkata is the safest large city<\/a> in India. The number of heinous crimes is also slowly decreasing here in the last few years.\n<\/p>\n

Women Need to Stay in Big Cities Alone<\/h2>\n

\nThese days women need to stay in big cities because of their careers. And even when you can stay with other women you need to take care of yourself.\n<\/p>\n

\nDanger can be lurking anywhere, and you should be cautious of the circle of known men too. Data says, in about 99% of the cases the victims are known to the criminal.\n<\/p>\n

\nIt is not always possible to stay in groups. Sometimes, you have got to stay alone.\n<\/p>\n

\nIt is preferable to stay in a gated residential complex than a standalone building. Almost all residential complexes have elaborate security arrangements. Standalone buildings lack in this respect.\n<\/p>\n

\nEven then, you need to take certain precautions.\n<\/p>\n

\nIt is better to be safe than sorry.\n<\/p>\n

\nLet\u2019s discuss them now.\n<\/p>\n

Take Adequate Precautions<\/h2>\n

\nThese days, women often need to stay late at work and move around at odd hours. Although there are plenty of professional opportunities, there are also safety hazards of being on your own in a big city. But there are ways to ensure that you stay safe.\n<\/p>\n

Find safe accommodation<\/h3>\n

\nFinding safe rental accommodation<\/a> can get somewhat difficult for a single woman. Nevertheless, choose a walled residential complex in a respectable locality rather than independent houses.\n<\/p>\n

\nBefore you decide on a home, research the neighbourhood, the distance of your home from the main road, public transport availability, and previous criminal history of the area.\n<\/p>\n

\nLook for apartments that have a proper security arrangement \u2014 CCTV, guard, and visitor\u2019s book.\n<\/p>\n

Ensure safe travel<\/h3>\n

\nIf you are traveling on work on an assignment, ensure that your company arranges safe accommodation for you. Also, carry names of reliable contact persons in case you find any difficulty.\n<\/p>\n

Always be careful in your apartment<\/h3>\n

\nIn the apartment, make sure your door is always latched<\/a> when you are home. Never leave your balcony door open at night. Generally, draw the curtains closed when you are too visible from outside, especially at night.\n<\/p>\n

\nWhen you order food or have to pay off milkmen, or other vendors, don\u2019t leave the door open. Take the items from the door itself and don\u2019t allow them to step inside. Never let in strangers when you are alone. If you are living alone, get an alarm system installed. Look through the keyhole before opening the door. Preferably get a security chain attached, and only open as far as it will allow.\n<\/p>\n

\nReport any strangers loitering in your neighbourhood or people asking vague questions about your neighbours.\n<\/p>\n

Learn self-defense<\/h3>\n

\nYou should learn some lessons in self-defense if are staying alone. Nowadays, there are many institutes where you can practice a martial art form.\n<\/p>\n

\nCarry pepper spray. The government has now subsidized the rates of pepper spray and they are easily available at chemist\u2019s shops. You can also carry chili powder if you don\u2019t have pepper spray with you. Spray in the eyes (of a potential attacker\/stalker) and run.\n<\/p>\n

Use transport wisely<\/h3>\n

\nIf you travel in your own car, never keep your home and car keys together. Look around you while getting in and out of your car, especially in a desolate parking lot.\n<\/p>\n

\nIf you use public transport, be watchful of co-passengers. If you are uncomfortable because of a gut feeling of danger, don\u2019t get in or get out immediately.\n<\/p>\n

\nBe alert while riding on an app cab. Many cases of harassment happened in-app cabs. Use the SOS button in case any emergency.\n<\/p>\n

\nRemember, the dreaded Nirbhaya incident<\/a> took place on a bus.\n<\/p>\n

While walking outdoors<\/h3>\n

\nThe most important thing you can do is stay in well-travelled residential areas. Avoid isolated areas.\n<\/p>\n

\nNever wear headphones while walking or jogging outside. It not only increases the likelihood that you will not hear someone approach from behind but doing so sends a clear message to the outside world that you are not attuned to your surroundings and hence vulnerable.\n<\/p>\n

\nAlways assume hostile intent from strangers and keep your distance. Remember, many attacks are preceded by one of these three questions: \u2018May I use your phone?\u2019, \u2018What time is it?\u2019 and \u2018Do you know how to get to\u2026?\u2019\n<\/p>\n

Use Women\u2019s Helplines and Safety Apps<\/h3>\n

\nAnother good way to take care of your safety is by using a variety of women\u2019s helplines and security apps for women.\n<\/p>\n

\nAlways ensure that your mobile phone is well-charged. Carry a fully charged power bank too.\n<\/p>\n

\nKeep all relevant helpline numbers on your phone.\n<\/p>\n

\nFor women in distress, the national helpline number is 1091.\n<\/p>\n

\nFor Kolkata Metro Railway, the women\u2019s helpline is 9007041908.\n<\/p>\n

\nAdd your friends\u2019 or relatives\u2019 phone numbers to your phone contact list. You can SOS them with your location in the case of any difficulty through special services from telecom operators like Vodafone<\/a> or Airtel<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\nIn addition, there are a number of women\u2019s security apps on the Google Play Store. There are also apps by the police departments in different cities to report any incident immediately. Download them.\n<\/p>\n

Never Let Your Guard Down<\/h2>\n

\nIf you are staying in a big city alone like Sumana, never let your guard down. Even innocuous situations can turn ugly.\n<\/p>\n

\nThere have been cases of molestations by drunken colleagues on the pretext of escorting a woman co-worker home. If you are even slightly suspicious, just avoid riding home with drunken men.\n<\/p>\n

\nBe alert even at parties or social gatherings. Avoid drinking alcohol if you don\u2019t know everyone well. It is sometimes poisoned with drugs by persons with criminal intent.\n<\/p>\n

\nHowever, in spite of being careful, there is no need to develop any paranoia.\n<\/p>\n

\nTaking care of your safety needs will slowly become your second nature if you follow the above advice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cLook on your right, and look on your left. Watch your back. Always watch all around you when you cross a lonely stretch of road, especially in the evening darkness. Never walk while talking on mobile, without being fully alert. Always remember, no place is safe for women, even big cities.\u201d Whenever Sumana calls her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-residential"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nklusive.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nklusive.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nklusive.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nklusive.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nklusive.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=679"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nklusive.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":852,"href":"https:\/\/nklusive.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/679\/revisions\/852"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nklusive.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nklusive.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nklusive.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nklusive.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}