Safe Cities Stories

ActionAid’s campaign Safe Cities for Women aims to hold duty bearers to account to make streets, public places, work places, learning institutions and transportation safer, so that women and girls are able to share in the vast benefits of their cities. This can only happen if we demand that decision-makers build women’s safety into the construction of cities, ensure public services meet the needs of women and girls, end sexual violence against women in cities and towns, and end impunity of sex attackers.

The stories shared in this book are not isolated incidents. Women and girls in cities aren’t able to take advantage of the opportunities that cities offer because of fear. It is this fear and experience of rape, assault and sexual harassment when moving around in public spaces that prevents women having a life free of violence and exploitation.