Safety Beyond Curfews: What Young Women in Pune Actually Want From the City

As India’s urban spaces grow, so do the voices of the women navigating them. And the women of Pune—home to students, creatives, and corporate professionals—are clear: safety isn’t about restriction. It’s about redesigning freedom.

Let’s Talk About the Real Problem: Control ≠ Care

Urban planning isn’t neutral—it often forgets women. A broken footpath might just be “inconvenient” for some, but for a woman walking alone at night, it’s the difference between taking a shortcut or avoiding the route entirely.

Pune’s “Safe Spots”

Some corners of Pune feel like exhale:

• Pagdandi Book Café, Baner: Solo-friendly, peaceful, no creeps.

• Pune Okay Please Markets: Crowded, but oddly comforting with their creative chaos.

• Pune Metro Stations: Surprisingly secure (so far), especially the Vanaz line with surveillance and regular police presence.

• Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus: Sprawling and green, but still walkable with enough people around.

The vibe? Neutral. Not hyper-masculine. Not hostile.

Urban safety isn’t a favour. It’s a right. And it starts with asking who the city was built for—and how we can fix that.

So, What Now?

If Pune wants to claim its title as a smart, youth-driven city, it needs to look beyond gated societies and nightlife restrictions.

It needs to:

• Listen to the lived experiences of women

• Involve them in policy and planning

• Create a public culture where walking, sitting, dancing, or even loitering isn’t a threat to anyone’s dignity

Safety is not a luxury.
And for the young women shaping Pune’s culture, business, and future—it’s not optional either.