From Silence to Solidarity: Activating Collective Safety in Public Spaces

What if safety wasn’t an individual burden, but a shared, collective responsibility?

In the aftermath of the 2012 Nirbhaya and the Bangalore BMTC bus sex assault case, the urgent need for women’s safety in public spaces came sharply into focus. These cases of sexual violence against women revealed a form of ‘justice’ limited to incarceration—offering no true justice for those who experience violence because incarceration doesn’t dismantle the oppressive systems that enable violence. These cases also highlighted a fundamental flaw in the narrative of safety: it placed the entire burden on women without recognising that lack of safe spaces is a systemic issue. It was in this context of wanting to change this narrative that Priya Varadarajan, founded Durga (I’m Every Woman Trust), a feminist citizen-led movement for safer public spaces. 

Durga’s vision is – public spaces are equally occupied by people of all intersectional identities for commute, leisure and other activities. To address this, Durga conceptualised the Panic Alarms in public buses in Bangalore in an attempt to shift safety from being an individual concern to a community response. Why public buses? Well, since public transport is heavily used by women for work, education, and leisure; women’s free and safe movement is essential for living autonomous, equitable lives. 

Our first bold step? Installing panic alarms in BMTC buses across Bangalore. From 2014 to 2017, with support from the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), we installed over 500 alarms in city buses. These were not just alerts—they were loud, visible signals demanding immediate action. When triggered by someone in distress, the alarm blared loudly and flashed conspicuously both inside and outside the bus. In moments of crisis, these alarms prompted swift responses from conductors, passengers, and even bystanders on the street. And they worked. From stopping sexual harassment to thwarting thefts, the system proved that when we act together, public spaces become safer.

While we were engaging with this intervention, we began reflecting more deeply on how to enable meaningful action from participants—not just within buses, but also on the streets. It became clear that sparking a momentary response wasn’t enough; we needed to equip people with the clarity and confidence to act. Questions such as when to intervene, how to intervene, and what to do once one intervenes became central to our work. These were not secondary concerns but essential elements that had to be addressed alongside any technological or awareness-driven solution.

In response, Durga launched DARE (Durga Are Real Heroes Everywhere)—a bystander training initiative that equips everyday citizens, including bus drivers, traffic police, auto drivers, and street vendors, to recognize harassment and respond safely and effectively. The approach moved from reactive alerts to proactive measures, creating a culture of shared responsibility for safety. Durga uses Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) to foster empathy and action in their DARE workshops.

Feminist action always requires rethinking and strengthening. Durga has partnered with the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change (CSBC) to integrate behavioral nudges into public transport. These subtle cues—such as signage stating widespread support for bystander intervention—make safe action feel like the norm, not the exception. Trials of these nudges are currently underway in selected BMTC buses, aiming to embed behavioural change into the very infrastructure of public transport.

What began as a panic alarm is now a multi-layered movement—technology, training, theatre, and behavioural design—all working to build a culture of everyday heroes. Because when intervention becomes instinct, public spaces become truly public. 

About the Author

Durga is a Bangalore-based citizen sector initiative of I’m Every Woman Trust, founded in 2013, with a vision of witnessing public spaces that are equally occupied by people of all intersectional identities for commute, leisure and other activities. Durga enables this by building the capabilities of all actors who use these spaces through Theatre of the Oppressed to foster empathy and action while providing experiential support in deterring acts of sexual harassment, violence and gender-based discrimination.

Vibushita Bhat is the Communications and Narrative-building Lead at Durga. She is currently an MA Gender Studies student at SOAS, University of London. Through intersectional storytelling and communication, Durga’s narrative-building team aims to inspire collective action and solidarity to enable equitable public spaces.