Metropolitan India: The Divide Between Development and Women’s Security

Rapid urbanization and economic growth have transformed metropolitan cities of India into major centres of development, modernization and social mobility. However, the extent to which such development has ensured safety and protection for women as victims of crime remains a matter of serious concern. The present study examines the spatial pattern and magnitude of women’s victimization in the metropolitan cities of India and explores the contradiction between urban development and women’s security. The study is based on secondary data obtained from the National Crime Records Bureau, Crime in India report (2022). Nineteen metropolitan cities, each having a population of more than two million, have been selected for analysis. Six major categories of crimes in which women emerge as victims—rape, dowry deaths, assault on women with intent to outrage modesty, insult to the modesty of women, cruelty by husband or relatives and kidnapping or abduction to compel marriage—have been examined. A composite index of criminality has been computed to measure the degree of women’s victimization and inter-city variations. The findings reveal significant regional disparities in the victimization of women across metropolitan India. Jaipur emerged as the most hostile metropolitan city for women victims, whereas Coimbatore recorded the lowest criminality index, indicating the safest urban environment. The study further reveals that metropolitan cities, despite accounting for less than one-tenth of the national population, contribute disproportionately to several crimes against women. The study concludes that economic development and urban expansion alone do not protect women from victimization, highlighting the need for victim-centred urban governance, gender-sensitive institutions and socially inclusive development for ensuring women’s safety and dignity.