IJCM_55A: Harassment in public transport: A study to quantify the violence against women in Chennai district, Tamil Nadu.

Abstract

Background: A vast majority of population is dependent on the public transport for their day to day transit. Women travelling by public transport amount to 84% in India. Sadly, during the course of their commute, people especially women are susceptible to verbal and physical harassment at the hands of their fellow travelers. Many do not report and such atrocities aren’t brought to the media. Objectives: 1. To estimate the prevalence of harassment in public transportation in Chennai 2. To find out the association between harassment and socio demographic factors. 3. To find the coping strategies of victims after the harassment Methodology: This cross-sectional study, with a sample size of 270 includes women who are above 18 years. Data was collected from 5 randomly chosen public transportation facilities using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire which comprises of questions related to socio demographic profile, experiences of harassment and the victims behavior post the incident. Data analyzed using SPSS version 25 Results: Out of 270 women who were interviewed, 57 (21.1%) said that they have faced at least one form of harassment, either Verbal or Physical out of which only 4 complained to the police. 172 (63.7%) women said that they have been stalked at least once. Majority said they were harassed while travelling in bus. On doing chi square, statistical significance was seen with a p value of <0.05 in people who said they felt insecure when traveling alone and who were stalked. Conclusion: Awareness about gender-based violence must be taught. Bystander awareness must be increased, so that they can come to aid of women when any harassment is taking place. Women must also be encouraged to complain to the authorities. Stricter laws has to be implemented.