Women’s Harassment in Public Transport

A Growing Pain in Kashmir

- Khushboo Amin Bhat

As a Kashmiri girl and a law student, I feel deeply disturbed by what I see every day.

Harassment of women in public transport has become alarmingly common — especially here in Kashmir. Every day, girls and women travelling to schools, colleges, or offices face unwanted touching, staring, or inappropriate behaviour from men around them.

What’s most heartbreaking is the silence that follows. Many women choose not to speak up — not because they lack courage, but because they fear damaging their family's name or losing their own respect in society.

"Women stay silent not out of weakness, but out of fear that speaking up will cost them their dignity."

Once, we only heard about such incidents; now, we witness them daily. For school and college girls, travelling in local buses or sumos has turned into a fearful experience. Some even start questioning whether education or independence is worth it when their self-respect feels constantly at risk.

A Daily Struggle with a Bigger Impact