Dia Mirza Flags Girls’ Safety Concerns On National Girl Child Day And Tourism Day

Dia Mirza has renewed focus on girls’ safety concerns while marking National Girl Child Day and National Tourism Day, underlining how freedom of movement remains deeply unequal for girls across India. The actor, producer and UN Goodwill Ambassador stressed that conversations around tourism, development and progress are incomplete unless girls can step into public spaces without fear.

Girls’ safety in public spaces remains unequal

In a powerful statement, Mirza linked safety directly to confidence and opportunity. She noted that a girl who feels safe travelling independently today grows into a woman who moves through the world without hesitation tomorrow. Yet for many, public spaces still demand what she described as a “safety tax” paid through fear, constant calculation, and dreams quietly put on hold.

Mirza highlighted how mobility continues to be shaped by risk rather than choice. Citing national and global data, she pointed out that nearly 40% of women in urban India still feel unsafe in their own cities, while harassment among girls and young women under 24 is on the rise. Globally, UN Women estimates that up to 70% of women experience harassment in public spaces, a gap in trust that limits freedom long before adulthood.

Urban development, tourism and gender equality

Beyond social justice, Mirza framed public safety for girls as an economic issue. With tourism contributing close to 10% of global GDP, fear-driven exclusion restricts access to education, employment and participation, slowing sustainable growth. Calling for tangible change, she emphasised improved lighting, safer public transport and zero tolerance for harassment. Cities designed with girls’ safety at their core, she said, ultimately become safer for everyone.