The initiative follows a recent study by Sakhi among a cross section of women respondents that exposed vulnerability of women in the city to crime, especially sexual assaults, in public places.

According to its officials, though the achievements of Kerala in the social and demographic fields have been widely acclaimed and the “Kerala model’” is being promoted as worthy of emulation, it has got a very high rank in crime and suicide rates.

Many spaces that women are able to access during the day in the state capital become inaccessible or more difficult to use at night. Generally women are not seen alone in public spaces after dark because women are not legitimately allowed to use public spaces without a purpose.

Of the women respondents, 66 percent said they felt unsafe at the site where they were interviewed and the rest said they felt safe there but they have other unsafe places to mention in the city.

Sexual harassment has been pointed out as the main safety problem by 98 percent of women followed by robbery (51 percent). Verbal and visual abuse is the most common forms of sexual harassments, as reported by 80 percent of them. Sixty percent women reported physical harassment, 26 percent stalking and 21 percent flashing.

Thampanoor and East Fort are the main spots where women feel unsafe. In the major bus stops, women don’t feel comfortable to stay longer as they fear harassment. They get into the first bus, even if they have to take longer routes.

Almost two out of every three women face sexual harassment in the city at least two times in the past year. Women face maximum harassment while using public transport.

Sixty six percent of women respondents have reported sexual harassment while using public transport and women rarely go to theaters and park alone in the city. And in the case of public toilets, women are reluctant to use it due to its lack of cleanness and safety.

Forty seven percent said those women who belonged to the age group between 26 and 40 seemed to be more vulnerable. Even though being single woman or being from a particular age group are reasons, 98 percent believe they face sexual harassment only because they are ‘women’.

Sixty eight percent said men taking alcohol or drugs give a feeling of lack of comfort and safety and many of them feel the middle aged men are more problematic than youngsters.

While 69 percent avoid going to secluded places and 67 percent avoid going out alone after dark, 39 percent avoid going out alone at all. Sixty four percent of the respondents discussed their personal experience of sexual harassment with their family members or parents while the rest feared restrictions to their mobility, inability of the family to help them or possible over reaction for remaining silent.

While 53 percent of the women respondents in the age group 26 to 55 years have confronted the perpetrator, only 30 percent of women witnesses have intervened when they happened to see harassment in public places.

While 16 percent of women and 34 percent of common witnesses prefer not to get involved, 38 % of women and 31 % of common witnesses preferred to come forward to support the victims. Only 7 % of women have reported the incident to police while only 21 % women respondents considered approaching the police as they feel the process is too tedious when approaching the police and others felt it might affect their family.