Why public transport fails to protect women


Issued on: 06/02/2026 - FRANCE24

PLAYING TIME 12:57 min

From Tokyo to Toronto, Delhi to Paris, millions of women plan their journeys: choosing where to sit, when to travel, and how to stay alert. More than 70 percent of women worldwide have encountered sexual harassment in public spaces, including on transit. Here in France, the number of victims of sexual violence on public transport, recorded by law enforcement, has increased by 86 percent in almost a decade. Some 91 percent of victims are women.


To unpack why women's safety in public transport is a global problem, and what real solutions could look like, Jennifer Ben Brahim speaks with urbanist, speaker and writer Leslie Kern. She has written extensively about gender, gentrification and feminism, such as in her book "Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World". We talk about how despite research showing that women are more likely to rely on public transport than men, it is not at all adapted to their needs.

Also, how a recent attempted rape of a woman on a Paris commuter train made headlines and led to a petition calling for women-only carriages. They already exist in countries like Japan, Mexico and India, where women have to grapple with harassment, dilapidated infrastructure and a lack of accountability.

BY:

Jennifer BEN BRAHIM

Sonia BARITELLOFollow

Clémence LEBOUCHER

Audrey LILING