Safety Interventions for Women in Urban Public Transport of South Asia: A Systematic Review and Synthesis

Abstract

Literature has documented how women’s mobility in the global South is limited by affordability concerns, sociocultural restrictions, and fear of sexual violence in public transport. Violence against women (VAW) and gender-based violence (GBV) are not only key public health challenges but also constitute human rights violations, impacting women’s access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. Growing recognition of this challenge has led to a plethora of interventions and measures to make women feel safer. This chapter presents a systematic review, examining interventions that have shaped women’s safety in urban mobility across six South Asian countries. A three-stage screening process of online, English language academic, and gray literature yielded 57 articles that met the inclusion criteria for this review. Results were classified into five categories (technological solutions, women-only services, built-environment design, social activism & legislative changes, and mixed approaches), and the evidence around their impact on women’s safety was analyzed. Overall, there is a strong rationale for integrated interventions that complement and reinforce each other. By utilizing the insights provided in this chapter, policymakers and urban planners can effectively design gender-responsive transport in South Asia and beyond, serving as a means to reduce GBV and minimize the significant negative health impact experienced by women and girls.