The Effects of Sexual Harassment in Public Transit Spaces on Travel Behavior and Well-being of Young Women: Experiences from Delhi City, India

The global trend of rapid urbanization has resulted in the blurring of traditional gender roles. Cities these days are more accommodating to social change, offering women greater opportunities to challenge conventional gender roles and stereotypes, which demand mobility for women. Women exhibit complex relationships with mobility and more reliance on public transit, but regrettably, they also become more vulnerable to gender-based violence, including sexual harassment in public spaces, particularly in transit environments. Despite the significant impact of sexual harassment in public transport on women and its high prevalence in various countries, how such experiences influence women’s travel behavior and overall well-being has not been extensively studied, particularly in cities of the Global South. This study aims to characterize ways in which women in Delhi experience sexual harassment in public transit spaces. It also explores the impact of victimization on their travel behavior and well-being. Ultimately, this study aims to contribute to the comprehensive discussion on women’s safety in Delhi city specifically and in Global South cities in general. To achieve these objectives, the study adopts a mixed-method approach, including an online self-completing questionnaire of 330 young women, as well as 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that sexual harassment in public transit spaces is common in Delhi. Victimization and fear of it significantly affect women’s travel behavior, leading them to change their routes, travel times, modes of transportation, or even avoid public transit altogether. Additionally, the results indicate that victimization negatively impacts women’s mental health, increasing depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and trauma.