Researchers, government officials, and women's rights advocates gathered in India on Wednesday to mark 15 years of the UN Women's Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces initiative, calling for city planning that is designed both for and with women. The consultation highlighted stark data: 50–70% of women in Indian cities avoid public transport due to fear of harassment, and a 2012 survey found that 92% of women in Delhi had experienced sexual violence in public spaces, with only 5% feeling safe there. Speakers, including a representative from NITI Aayog (India's national policy planning body), argued that truly safe cities must give women genuine agency in shaping urban spaces, not merely reduce incidents of violence — a vision the initiative is now pursuing across 75 cities in 36 countries.