According to the data released by the government of India, 46% of the Nirbhaya funds are allocated to surveillance and policing functions. We asked social workers, women’s rights groups, and trans-queer activists, 'Does this allocation reflect the needs of women and gender minorities?' The answer was a resounding 'NO.'

So, where should government funds be allocated to create public spaces that match their imaginations of a safe city? People's responses highlight a holistic view of public safety in which various institutions and stakeholders need to work together to create safe cities.

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1. Upgrade civic infrastructure

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2. Expand public awareness & police sensitization

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3. Provide survivor-centred healthcare and counselling

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4. Strengthen reporting mechanisms

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5. Reinforce legal interventions

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6. Fund civil society organisations

— Do you want to support the movement for safe cities?

Here are some grassroots organisations, among many others, based in Mumbai and Kolkata that are working towards making these cities safer for cisgender women and trans/queer communities across the intersections of sexuality, caste, religion, disability, and labour. Read more about them, follow them, get involved with their work, and/or contact them for support.

Mumbai Organizations

	To explore the intersections of gender, technology, and sexuality, visit pointofview.org and follow our newsletter. If you need support with digital surveillance on your phone, call TechSakhi at 080 4568 5001.
	Report sexual harassment on Safecity and make your city safer for women and girls! Download the Safecity platform or visit https://webapp.safecity.in/. Information is analysed to engage communities to find solutions and hold civic and police officials accountable to have better policies and infrastructure. Your information remains anonymous.
Hasrat-e-Zindagi Mamuli	Hasrat-e-Zindagi Mamuli is a non-funded Queer Trans Feminist Collective in Mumbai. It is part of queer and trans struggles for the freedom to be ourselves. We are committed to democratic values and a society free of all violence. Please write to us at hasratezindagimamuli@gmail.com if you need help.
	Parcham (http://www.parchamcollective.org) is a Mumbai-based organisation that empowers marginalised young people through football training, employability skills, and creating inclusive public spaces. We challenge stereotypes, build bridges between communities, and advocate for the rights of minorities and women. Please contact parchamcollective@gmail.com if you’d like to volunteer with Parcham or are seeking support.

Kolkata Organizations

	Sappho for Equality (https://www.sapphokolkata.in/) is an organisation and activist forum in Kolkata, working for the rights of lesbians, bisexual women, and trans men in Eastern India. Our work focuses on community empowerment and engagement with civil society organisations. You can call Sappho’s helpline for support: 9831518320
	Swayam (https://swayam.info/) is a Kolkata-based feminist women's rights organisation established in 1995. Swayam works towards ending violence and discrimination against women and girls by facilitating women's empowerment, advancing women's rights, and creating violence-free and gender-just communities. Please write to swayam@swayam.info for more information.
	Kolkata Anandam for Equality and Justice (www.kolkataanandam.org) is a grassroots organization that works to enhance the rights, dignity and quality of life of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Kothi and Hijra (LGBTQKH*) people in red light districts of rural and urban West Bengal. Please write to kolkataanandam@gmail.com for more information.