NARI 2025: Visakhapatnam declared one of the safest cities for women in India

NARI, or The National Annual Report and Index on Women’s Safety, has released its latest report for 2025. A total of 12,770 women across 31 cities participated in this survey, placing the national safety score at 65%, categorising cities into “much above,” “above”, “below”, or “much below” benchmarks of safety. According to NARI 2025, many women consider Visakhapatnam one of the safest cities in India, alongside Mumbai, Gangtok, Bhubaneswar, Kohima, Aizawl, and Itanagar.

The National capital, Delhi, is among the least safe cities for women, along with cities like Faridabad, Kolkata, Srinagar, Jaipur, Ranchi, and Patna. These cities were ranked the lowest on the index.

NARI 2025 Report

The nationwide index, released on 28 August 2025, highlighted Visakhapatnam and other top-ranked cities for their civic participation, effective policing, strong gender equality, and women-friendly infrastructure. On the other hand, the least ranked cities showed slow institutional responsiveness, patriarchal norms and gaps in the infrastructure.

The survey revealed that six of ten women felt “safe” in their city, but 40% considered themselves “not so safe” or “unsafe”. Women felt safe at educational institutions (86% safe) during daylight, but this also significantly dropped at nighttime or off-campus. The safety perceptions dropped sharply at night in public transport and recreational spaces. About 91% women reported safety, but were not sure if their workplace had a POSH or Prevention of Sexual Harassment policy. The places with the policies had positive responses, deeming them effective.

The NARI report aims to protect women from crimes, cybercrimes, economic discrimination, and mental harassment, said the National Commission for Women or NCW chairperson, Vijaya Rahatkar. Necessary steps will be taken, such as including more women helplines, CCTV coverage in smart cities, and improving safety networks in railways and bus stations. She also reminded the people that when women feel unsafe, they limit themselves, which is bad for their own development and the development of the country.

Visakhapatnam’s Women Safety Steps

There were several steps taken to ensure women’s safety in Visakhapatnam. Following these steps has placed Visakhapatnam among the safest cities in India in the NARI report 2025. Some of them include:

• Patrolling 2-wheeler and 4-wheeler vehicles in vulnerable areas
• Monitoring all areas in the city through UAVs or drones
• Installing CCTVs across the city
• Deployment of She teams
• Conducting awareness camps like Nava Nirmana Samajam, Women Safety, Cyber Safety, which were conducted by the Commissioner of Police in all schools, colleges, and gated communities
• 24/7 accessibility of the Police Commissioner by making their personal number available to the public
• If any woman does not receive justice at the police station level, she can contact the Commissioner of Police through mobile at any time or in person till midnight at the office

The continued efforts of the police authorities have made Visakhapatnam one of the safest cities in India for women.

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