Unsafe transport, harassment: Students flag barriers to women's education to Rahul
At the Chhatron ki Goonj programme, women students told Congress MP Rahul Gandhi how harassment, unsafe travel and high fees hinder their education. Their accounts underlined how safety, affordability and support systems shape women's access to study and work.
Students speaking with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the 'Chhatron ki Goonj' programme in Pune said sexual harassment, fear for personal safety, unsafe public transport and financial hardship continue to limit women's access to education and economic independence.
They said these problems affect girls and women at multiple levels, from daily travel and family decisions on higher education to the ability to afford specialised courses. The students said safe mobility, affordable education and freedom from harassment were essential for equal opportunity.
Suchitra Pagi, an economics student from Vasai in Palghar, recounted incidents of harassment she faced as a 13-year-old while walking home from school and later while travelling on public transport. She said the experiences left her frightened of men, but added that not all men are the same. She urged people to step in when they see a woman being harassed and appealed to women and men to support victims instead of staying silent.
Maitri, a psychology student in Pune, said safety concerns can become a barrier to education, especially for girls from rural areas. She said parents in villages often hesitate to send their daughters away for higher education because of safety worries and may instead choose to educate their sons. She said this thinking is also linked to social norms that assume sons will support their parents financially, while daughters will marry and leave the family.
Pradnya Gavande, a second-year BSc student of Cyber and Digital Science, spoke about the financial barriers to specialised courses such as cybersecurity. She said reputed colleges charge around Rs 3 lakh for such courses, making them unaffordable for students from weaker financial backgrounds.
Gavande, who also works part-time, called for more cybersecurity courses in government colleges and scholarships for students. She also raised concern over the growing misuse of artificial intelligence to create obscene images of women and extort money from them, and stressed the need for stronger cybersecurity awareness and skills.
The students also raised concerns about safety in public transport, saying women often feel unsafe both on crowded buses, where there is a fear of harassment or inappropriate touching, and on empty buses, where they fear being alone with men. Their interaction with Rahul Gandhi centred on how safety, affordability and support systems continue to shape women's access to education and work.