Street harassment, or sexual harassment faced in public spaces, is one of the largest constraints to women’s economic mobility.
In Delhi, India, 95% of women between the ages of 16 and 49 report feeling unsafe in public spaces. This report aims to understand how perceived street harassment can impact women’s educational choices — specifically, where they choose to go to college — in Delhi.
Using data from student surveys, Google Maps, and mobile applications, researchers found that women choose poorer quality colleges, spend considerably more money on transportation, and accept longer commute times in order to travel by routes that are perceived to be safer.
The findings from this data show that policies to increase safety of travel routes can have powerful impacts on reducing the direct and indirect costs of harassment.