Conducted by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), the survey has pegged Delhi as the most unsafe metro for women who work in night shifts, followed by Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai.
The assessment is based on a feedback received from over 2,000 women in small, medium and large scale firms in ten major cities across the country.
Categorising as "most vulnerable" women working in BPOs, IT sector, hospitality and media, the survey noted that employees in these sectors are more prone to both physical and non-physical attacks, especially after duty hours.
"This has led to a huge attrition rate amongst females in these sectors," it said.
Inadequate transport arrangements, lack of internal code to ensure security of women employees and official callousness, among others, were cited as reasons for the high crime rate against women.
"Over 86 per cent of women on night shifts face commuting problems because of lack of adequate transport arrangements by employers and Delhi witnessed this problem the most, followed by Mumbai, Kolkata and Pune," the survey said.
On why Delhi is still considered unsafe for women despite a series of initiatives, Suman Nalwa, the Additional Deputy Police Commissioner in Crime Against Women cell of Delhi Police, said that numerous measures have been taken to ensure women's security but admitted "a lot more needs to be done". More