Picture this. A young woman in a rural village wakes up at dawn. She has to walk 3 kilometers to fetch water. Then another 2 kilometers to reach the bus stop for work. The roads she takes are not well-lit. The traffic is unpredictable. And the journey? Full of risks.
For women in rural India, the road is not just a path. It is a daily challenge. Each step carries a silent fear—fear of accidents, harassment, poor infrastructure, and lack of safety.
When we talk about road safety, we often imagine highways, city traffic, and speed cameras. But road safety is much more than that. It is about whether a woman in a small village can walk, cycle, or travel safely without worrying about her life and dignity.
This is where the challenges become clear. And this is where solutions must begin.
The Reality of Roads in Rural India
India’s rural roads tell a different story than its urban ones.
- Many are unpaved and uneven.
- Streetlights are rare. Nights become dangerous.
- Public transport is limited, forcing women to depend on shared vehicles or long walks.
- Emergency help is often hours away.
For women, this reality is doubled. Because it’s not just about potholes and bad roads. It’s also about social risks—harassment, stalking, and violence during travel.
The Double Burden Women Face
For men, unsafe roads are an inconvenience. For women, they are often a daily battle.
Think about it. A man walking alone on a dark road fears stray dogs or maybe an accident. A woman walking the same road fears all of that plus harassment, catcalling, or worse.
This double burden makes women more vulnerable on rural roads.
Key Road Safety Challenges
1. Poor Infrastructure
Most rural roads lack basic safety features:
- No footpaths for pedestrians.
- No speed breakers near schools or markets.
- No lights in the evening.
Imagine walking back after sunset from the farm. The road is pitch dark. Vehicles zoom past. You don’t see them, they don’t see you. Accidents are waiting to happen.
2. Lack of Safe Public Transport
In many villages, buses come rarely, and shared auto-rickshaws are often overcrowded. Women squeeze into unsafe vehicles because they have no choice.
And overcrowding isn’t just uncomfortable. It creates situations where women face harassment in silence.
3. Distance to Essentials
Women in rural India often walk long distances for water, healthcare, or schools. Every trip increases their exposure to road hazards. Children too, especially girls, risk their safety just to get to class.
4. Cultural Barriers
Even when roads are dangerous, families sometimes restrict women from traveling alone. They say, “It’s not safe.” Which ironically means women lose out on education, jobs, and healthcare. Road safety isn’t just about preventing accidents. It’s about ensuring equal access to opportunities.
5. Lack of Emergency Response
If an accident happens in a village, ambulances take time to arrive. Hospitals may be far away. For women, the delay can be deadly. Especially for pregnant women or those facing violence while traveling.
6. Gender-Based Harassment
This is perhaps the most silent yet pressing issue. Women traveling alone often face verbal abuse, stalking, or even assault. This fear shapes their choices. Some drop out of school. Some refuse jobs in nearby towns. Some limit their movement entirely.
When roads are unsafe, women’s futures shrink.
A Personal Story
I once met a young girl from a rural school in Telangana. She told me, “I love studying. But I don’t go to evening tuition. The road is dark, and boys follow us on bikes. My parents say it’s better to stay home.”
That broke my heart. Her safety was not just about avoiding accidents. It was about losing opportunities. Roads meant to connect her to dreams were instead cutting them off.
Why Women’s Road Safety Is Everyone’s Issue
Some may say, “This is a women’s problem.” But let’s be real. When women are unsafe, entire families suffer.
- A mother unable to travel safely means children miss healthcare.
- A girl unable to attend school means generations of progress are lost.
- A woman skipping work because of unsafe transport means lower household income.
Road safety for women is not just about women. It is about the whole community.
The HarGhar Se EkTejasvini Initiative
At Hetch Foundation, we believe safety begins at home and extends to the streets. That’s why we started HarGhar Se EkTejasvini.
The idea is simple: one empowered woman from every home becomes a Tejasvini.
A Tejasvini is:
- Trained in self-defense.
- Aware of legal rights.
- Educated about safety measures.
- A role model who teaches others in her family and village.
She is not just protecting herself. She is spreading awareness, supporting other women, and pushing back against silence.
In rural areas, a Tejasvini becomes even more powerful. She helps girls continue education safely. She speaks against harassment in local transport. She ensures that road safety becomes a shared responsibility.
How Families Can Help Women Stay Safe on Roads
1. Teach and Encourage Awareness
Families should openly talk about road dangers. Not with fear, but with solutions. For example: “Always walk on the right side of the road so you face traffic.” Simple tips save lives.
2. Support Education
Many parents stop girls from going to school because of unsafe travel. Instead of stopping them, families can form groups where women and children travel together for safety.
3. Demand Better Infrastructure
Villagers can collectively petition local authorities for lights, speed breakers, and proper bus stops. Small changes make huge differences.
4. Normalize Safety Habits
Women riding two-wheelers must wear helmets. Girls should be taught that it’s not “shameful” to say no to harassment or report it. Families must normalize safety as a rule, not an option.
The Role of Communities
Road safety cannot be a lonely fight. Communities must stand together.
- Villages can organize safety patrols on school routes.
- Local leaders can push for transport facilities for women workers.
- Schools can teach traffic rules and safety habits early.
When the whole community acts, unsafe roads lose their power.
Government and Policy Measures
While families and communities play a role, government action is crucial.
- Better Rural Roads: Paved, lit, and maintained.
- Women-Friendly Transport: Buses at safe timings, women-only spaces where needed.
- Emergency Services: Quick ambulances and rural helplines.
- Legal Protection: Stricter punishment for harassment on roads and transport.
Safety should not depend on luck. It should be guaranteed by design.
Bridging Road Safety with Empowerment
Road safety is not just about preventing accidents. It’s about empowerment. A safe road means:
- A girl can attend school confidently.
- A woman can take a job in the next town.
- A mother can travel for healthcare without fear.
That’s why HarGhar Se EkTejasvini matters. By empowering women at home, we empower them on roads. By creating awareness in families, we create safer villages.
A Glimpse of Hope
In some villages, small steps have already created change.
- Community-installed solar lamps reduced harassment on dark lanes.
- Women’s self-help groups started pooling money to arrange safe transport.
- Local schools ran campaigns where girls pledged to always travel in groups.
These are not huge changes. But like ripples in water, they spread.
What You Can Do
You might ask, “I live in a city. How can I help rural women?”
- Support organizations working in rural safety.
- Sponsor lights or helmets for villages.
- Spread awareness about initiatives like HarGhar Se EkTejasvini.
- If you’re from a rural area, step forward to be a change-maker in your community.
Change doesn’t need everyone. It needs a few determined people to start.
Conclusion
For women in rural India, roads are more than routes. They are battlegrounds. They face broken infrastructure, poor transport, long distances, and harassment. These challenges are not small. They steal opportunities, education, income, and dignity.
But the solution lies in families, communities, and empowered women.
Through HarGhar Se EkTejasvini, we can create a culture where every woman feels strong, safe, and supported. Through collective effort, we can ensure that rural roads are not places of fear, but pathways to freedom.
Because at the end of the day, a safe road is not just about traffic. It is about life, equality, and dignity. And no woman should have to risk any of those just to walk her daily path.