NHRC issues nationwide advisory on women's safety at work and in public spaces

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued an advisory on 27 October 2026 titled 'Women's Safety at Work and Public Spaces', addressed to the Secretaries of the Union Ministries of Women and Child Development, Education, Home Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, Labour and Employment, Corporate Affairs, Road Transport and Highways, Housing and Urban Affairs, and Health and Family Welfare, to the Chairperson of the Railway Board, and to the Chief Secretaries and Administrators of all States and Union Territories. The advisory frames women's safety as linked to their constitutional entitlement to justice and equal opportunity, and notes that despite existing laws, women's safety at work and in public places remains a concern, citing women's labour-force participation of 34.6% in September 2026 and about 4.4 lakh crimes against women recorded in the latest National Crime Records Bureau report.

It sets out recommendations across eight areas: awareness of safety and sexual harassment; safety infrastructure; encouraging bystander intervention; the role of the police; support for survivors; cybercrime against women; long-term reforms; and other measures. The NHRC has asked every addressee to implement the advisory's recommendations and to furnish an Action Taken Report (ATR) within two months.