When Woman’s Freedom Shrinks, Who Notices

For women, questions like “don’t go out at night,” “what is she wearing,” and “what is she doing outside late at night” tell us how much their freedom has diminished. Men will follow any woman with their eyes, and no matter what she is wearing, they will stare at her anyway. This makes women afraid to walk on the streets, afraid to use public transport, and for them, parks become a curse that they end up avoiding. Since when did phrases like “call me when you reach” or “be careful” start coming so naturally from a girl’s mouth?

The recent incident at Aastha Kunj in South Delhi has raised these questions once again. On September 21, 2026, a 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped in Aastha Kunj Park near Lady Shri Ram College by three men who allegedly posed as police officers. The incident led to protests by LSR students and other Delhi University students, who demanded justice and greater safety for women in public spaces. The main thing that sparked anger regarding this incident is the impact it has had on women’s freedom. Parks are places we used to use for walking, hanging out with friends, and picnics, but because of this incident, these places have simply become dangerous for women and have turned into places to be avoided. Students also spoke about a dark 500-metre stretch near LSR’s back gate that many students use while returning home after classes.

Students’ protest near LRS College (image Credit: India Today)

But Aastha Kunj is not an isolated reminder of this fear. Delhi has seen several recent cases of sexual violence against girls, including the reported rape of an 11-year-old girl in Sadar Bazaar and the reported rape and killing of a 17-year-old girl in Swaroop Nagar in September 2026. These cases are different in their circumstances, but together they remind us why women and girls are increasingly taught to think about safety before freedom. And this fear is not new. The December 16, 2012 Delhi gang-rape became one of the defining moments in India's conversation about women’s safety. More than a decade later, students protesting after the Aastha Kunj incident again raised the question of whether enough has changed.

Some students spoke about harassment during their daily commute, being told to travel in groups, and feeling unsafe even around prestigious educational institutions. After such things happen, the first thing we often hear is about restrictions on women: do not go out alone, do not stay out late at night, do not visit quiet places, do not travel at night, and so on. Some precautions may have their merits, but when these become the primary response to combating violence, something important is lost. Why should the responsibility for creating safe public spaces fall specifically on those who are being victimized?

After the incident at Aastha Kunj, concerns were raised regarding dark areas, lighting, security personnel, and safety in public spaces. A police audit of around 1,500 Delhi parks found problems including inadequate lighting, insufficient CCTV coverage and dark spots in several parks. These measures are important. However, safety should not mean closing off spaces or expecting women to avoid them. A public space should be considered truly safe only when people can use it without having to worry about potential dangers every time they enter.

The students’ protest showed that this is not just about one park. The students spoke out about dark streets, being followed, parental restrictions, and the things women constantly think about for their own safety. Their message is not just that women want protection. It is that they want the freedom to live without fear. Because when a young woman starts to think that going somewhere alone is an irresponsible thing to do, when a woman feels guilty for arriving home late at night, when parents restrict their daughters more because they are worried about them, and when women start choosing their education, friendships, jobs, or lifestyles based on what they consider “safe,” their paths gradually become narrower

We only realize it when something bad happens to a woman. We realize it when the streets are filled with protests and when the incident appears in the news. But do we know the girl who stopped attending evening classes because she did not want to walk home in the dark? The student who chose to leave social gatherings early? The daughter who stopped asking for permission to go out because she already knew the answer? Do we know the woman who chose a longer route because she felt the shorter one was unsafe? It should not be necessary for women to constantly prove that they are cautious enough to have their freedom. A woman’s freedom does not disappear all at once. However, it is often evident in how she makes decisions, how she makes plans, and in her curfews.

So, who notices when a woman’s freedom shrinks? We, the people of India, should notice it, because safety should not be something that narrows a woman’s world; rather, shouldn’t it be about making the world safe enough so that women can live freely in it?