ABSTRACT
Access to transportation and movement through public spaces are increasingly important to women in Bangladesh but physical and social challenges, such as harassment, inhibit women's mobility by restricting their travel and access to public spaces. This study was a cross-sectional analysis of 504 women (from urban and rural areas) using a structured, paper-based questionnaire administered in March–April 2025 and the data was analyzed using IBM SPSS 25. According to this study, 34% of the respondents faced verbal harassment during travel, 8% faced physical harassment, 21% of respondents faced both types of harassment and 36% of respondents reported no harassment. About 16% felt safe all the time and more than half did not go to certain places for fear. 60% were prevented from going out alone, and 17% from engaging in community activities. Graduates had the highest legal awareness of 69.7% compared with females with no formal education which was the lowest at 25.8%. Only 30% of victims reported to legal authorities. This study revealed that a significant proportion of women experience harassment—both verbal and physical—during travel, with buses, rickshaws, and walking and they lacked awareness and opportunities of legal actions. Therefore, safer transport systems, awareness campaigns, and stronger law enforcement mechanisms are recommended.
