Cities have historically been seen as places of ideas, cooperation, and emancipation. Unfortunately, not everyone feels the same way about the city, and not equally.
Cities are more often places of terror for many women, who enter them with a persistent sense of unease about their safety.
This view is supported by recent cases like the rape and murder at RG Kar College in West Bengal, highlighting the ongoing dangers women face.
Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere in India, such as the public stripping of two tribal women in Manipur and a teenage girl being stabbed on the streets of Delhi.
Under the Constitution, State Governments are responsible for citizen safety, including women and girls, as 'Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects.
And yet, we see several crimes taking place on women around us everyday.
Girls are frequently killed while still in the womb. Furthermore, a girl child's experiences with inequality stem from ingrained, established gender norms.
There are still child weddings and issues with dowries. Most women experience sexual harassment by the time they are sixteen.
Health disparities are caused in part by cultural taboos surrounding women's health and limited access to healthcare services.
Women's safety also include tactics, procedures, and laws designed to lessen violence against them as well as their fear of crime.
However, the implementation of these laws are often disturbed by political interference, corruption and so on.
Justice is often not properly delivered, delayed or denied. Protests go on for few days as "candle march" but are never enough to shaken the government forces.
In such scenarios, there is urgent need to ensure a fairer judicial system and promotion of education regarding gender equality.
Men and women are two sides of the same coin. Without one, the other cannot function properly. Thuds women's safety becomes an important question to be addressed immediately.