Visakhapatnam, the financial and IT capital of AP, has been ranked among the safest cities for women in the country. The survey for the National Annual Report on Women’s Safety was conducted in about 31 cities across the country. Opinions were collected from about 13,770 women.
The report has given a national safety score of 65 percent. Cities above this are classified as safe and those below as unsafe. Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Kohima, Aizawl, Etah Nagar, Mumbai, and Gangtok are in the list of safe cities. Patna, Jaipur, Faridabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Srinagar, and Ranchi are unsafe areas.
While releasing the report, National Commission for Women Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said that women’s safety cannot be seen as just a law and order issue, but it affects every aspect of a woman’s life like education, health, job opportunities, and freedom. After the coalition government came to power in AP, peace and security are being given top priority.
It has launched a special Shakti app for women’s safety. It has also decided to restart the Abhayam project, which was started earlier for women’s security in public transport. Shakti teams have been formed to prevent harassment and crimes against women and girls and to provide immediate help and protection when needed. These teams work in public places. They stand by women.
Responding to this report, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha praised Visakhapatnam’s standing as the safest city for women in the country as a testament to the coalition government’s commitment and the efforts of the police department. She said that Visakhapatnam’s standing at the top along with 6 cities in the country in the National Annual Report on Women’s Safety – 2025 is a matter of pride for the state.
It was revealed that Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Kohima, Aizawl, Itanagar, Mumbai and Gangtok cities have stood first with gender equality, civic participation, improved police performance and women-friendly infrastructure.
The Minister said that the state government has paid special attention to the protection of women with issues like Invisible Police – Visible Policing, Shakti App for women’s protection, and use of technology in the police system. She expressed happiness that Visakhapatnam is the only city in South India that prioritizes the protection of women.
