By Khushi Singh and Rashad Ullah Khan
The Indian economy has witnessed rampant development in the last decade. With the entry of new players and modified market norms, the economy is now more welcoming and booming with potential. This growth and change are accredited to India’s most dwelled day economy and the emergent night-time economy. The night-time economy (NTE) is frequently cited as a key engine of urban development, cultural vibrancy, and economic progress. In India, the discourse around the NTE is still in its early stages, but it has enormous promise. However, this potential is hampered by obvious gendered exclusions founded on cultural, social, and institutional constraints.
In India, social norms regarding the behaviors of men and women or safety measures that are perceived as high influences. NTE. Women’s engagement in the NTE, whether as workers or consumers, is restricted by coexisting barriers. Culture, structure, and institutionalism jointly confine women to move at night. This cultural behavior enforced by patriarchal practices continues to dominate the early release from work for women regardless of whether the woman is a resident of a city home or a village. Worse still, poor public transport, the rarity of streetlights, and the absence of secure places during nighttime keep women off the streets at night. Further, corruption and lack of good policing and restrictive laws make these challenges worse, particularly for women, as their movement outdoors is restricted at night.
Advent of night-time economy
Various cities across India have been experiencing the advent of the night-time economy differently. Safe app-based cab services, well-lit technology parks, and late-working organizations make nights safer in Bengaluru, which, with its tech support, makes for an ideal belt for NTE. However, it would be wrong to say that issues are not persistent regardless of these measures. A survey conducted as part of a study titled “Young Women’s Perception of Safety in Public Buses: A Study of Two Indian Cities (Ahmedabad and Bangalore)” shows that as low as 36% of women in Bengaluru felt safe when traveling at night on public transport, hence the need for better infrastructure accompanied by partnerships between private players and municipalities.
Mumbai is often called the “safest city in India” for women due to its public transportation facilities and active social nightlife. Local trains help the population, and the BEST buses operate till the wee hours of the morning. All the while, the high levels of alertness make women feel safer. According to the Assocham survey (PTI, 2008), 26% of women in Mumbai feel unsafe at night. Mumbai’s NTE suffers from a complicated licensing structure for night-time enterprises and ongoing gendered violence; purchase and management roles of women in firms that are active during late nights remain limited.
Delhi is most unsafe
In sharp contrast, according to the same study, Delhi is among the most unsafe cities for women. New NCRB research 2022 reveals that Delhi alone contributes over 30% of all metropolitan area crimes against women in India. The view has a bearing on the engagement of women in the NTE. Dark alleys, lack of an effective night-time transport system, and an unconstitutional attitude toward the victims also play a role.
Delhi, the national capital, does not have adequate capital infrastructure or public confidence, which is essential for NTE. Women can only indulge in economic activities during the night in a few areas: Connaught Place and Select City Walk.
Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, a technology and cultural capital of the region, recorded the growth of NTE’s enormous potential. Nevertheless, women are rarely involved due to a variety of reasons. Only a quarter of the women respondents feel safe going to activities held at night or going to work at night alone, as per the “India’s Night-time Economy and Gendered Exclusion” report. Problems are bad street lighting, lack of police patrols, male-dominated layouts of city streets, and women and girls being restricted within certain hours. Access to and through public spaces reflects a motorized transport lobby further discriminating against women.
India should look for models
NTE studies reveal that countries like the UK, Denmark, Australia, and Canada are fostering a night-time economy, and India can look to these countries for directions. The Night Czar Model pioneered in London shows how leadership in the image of the night-time- economy is concerned not only with safety and entertainment but also with inclusion. When given the role of Night Czar – a dedicated official appointed to coordinate the city’s NTE – safety surveys and community engagement were carried out, and positive impacts of such initiatives have also been noted to enhance women’s experiences. Stockholm city planning’s inclusion of gender to make sure that streets are well-lit, public transport is safe and accessible for women, and public spaces are secure makes it safe for women at night, which keeps gender at the core of city planning. In the same way, Melbourne’s weekend all-night train and tram services deal with security problems and allow women to become active consumers and prospective employees through night shifts. These cities raise the culturally, structurally, and institutionally appropriate prevention agenda. Needless to say, India can draw valuable lessons from these successful models to build up its NTE and provide a safer environment for the urban population.
Making cities safer for women in India requires enhancing the physical environment and public policies, mobility, accessibility, and political administration through well-lit streets, safe public utilities, and women-friendly hours of operation. For further development of the night-time economy, there is a need for an effective 24×7 transport system with safety measures and fair, equal decision-making.
Great promise but needs efforts
Indian NTE holds great promise for India, but efforts need to be put into banning the culture, structures, and institutions that act as barriers. Thus, following examples from practices across the world and implementing gender-friendly measures, India can turn its cities into living and developing megapolises. Achieving this aim requires a call for change that will give us an equal chance to practice in the NTE apart from mere changes in infrastructure.
Khushi Singh is an Intern with the Centre for Development Policy and Practice. She is a postgraduate student at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad.
Rashad Ullah Khan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Development Policy and Practice. He holds a Master’s in Women’s Studies from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
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