40 percent women feel unsafe and 2 in 3 never report, is the govt hiding behind fake safety numbers?

The NARI 2025 report surveyed 12,770 women across 31 Indian cities. 40 percent feel unsafe in their own city. Their own city. The place where they live, work, raise children. 40 percent do not feel safe there. 7 percent faced harassment in public spaces in 2024. And that number doubles to 14 percent for women under 24. Young women. College students. Working girls. 14 percent of them faced harassment in public. And this is just what was reported to the survey. The real number is likely much higher. The most shocking part is that 2 out of 3 women who face harassment never report it to anyone. Not to police. Not to family. Not to friends. They just stay silent. Why? Because they know nothing will happen. Because they fear being blamed. Because the process of reporting is itself traumatic. The report says NCRB data only captures the tip of the iceberg because so many cases go unreported. The NCRB recorded 4.41 lakh crimes against women in 2024. But if 2 out of 3 are never reported, the real number could be over 13 lakh. 13 lakh crimes against women in one year. Neighbourhoods and public transport are the biggest harassment hotspots. The places women cannot avoid. Streets, buses, trains, auto stands. Only 25 percent of women trust authorities to act on complaints. 25 percent. That means 3 out of 4 women do not believe the police or authorities will do anything if they complain. Delhi, Patna, Jaipur and Kolkata rank among the least safe cities. These are major Indian cities. Not small towns. Major metropolitan areas. Cruelty by husband is the largest category at 1.2 lakh cases. 1.2 lakh women faced cruelty from their own husbands. In their own homes. And these are just the reported cases. The govt keeps announcing Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and women empowerment schemes. But what is the actual ground reality? 40 percent feel unsafe. 2 out of 3 never report. Only 25 percent trust authorities. The govt uses NCRB data to say crimes against women are under control. But the NARI report shows the official numbers are a fraction of the real scale. The govt is using statistics to hide the truth. When a woman does report, what happens? She has to go to a police station where she is often questioned insensitively. She has to relive the trauma. She has to face the accused in court. She has to wait years for a verdict. And in most cases, the accused walks free. Is the govt using official numbers to hide the real scale of danger women face every day?