New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued an advisory on women’s safety at workplaces and in public spaces, calling for measures across eight key areas and seeking reports on the progress of their implementation within two months.
The advisory, titled ‘Women’s Safety at Work and Public Spaces’, has been sent to the Secretaries of 10 Union Ministries, the Chairperson of the Railway Board and the Chief Secretaries/Administrators of all states and Union Territories (UTs).
The apex human rights body observed that despite the existence of stringent laws to protect women’s rights, their safety at workplaces and public spaces remains a concern.
As per the recent Periodic Labour Force Participation Survey in India, women’s participation in the labour force stood at 34.6 per cent in September 2026. However, about 4.4 lakh cases of crimes against women were also reported, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report published in 2026.
These figures underscore the persistent challenges in ensuring the safety and security of women and highlight the need for sustained and concerted efforts, the NHRC said.
It observed that women’s safety is vital to ensuring their constitutional entitlement to justice and equal opportunities. It further observed that safety at workplaces and public spaces is an essential condition for enabling women to participate fully in the workforce and realise their full potential.
The advisory focusses on eight key areas for action, including raising awareness about women’s safety and sexual harassment, infrastructure, encouraging bystander intervention, the role of the police, survivor support, cybercrime against women, long-term reforms and other measures.
The Union Ministries to which the advisory has been issued include Women and Child Development, Education, Home Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, Labour and Employment, Corporate Affairs, Road Transport and Highways, Housing and Urban Affairs, and Health and Family Welfare.
The NHRC has urged all authorities concerned to implement the recommendations contained in the advisory and furnish an Action Taken Report (ATR) within two months, informing it about the progress made.
