National Girl Child Day and Tourism Day: Dia Mirza Urges Gender-Responsive Action To Improve Safety for Girls in Public Spaces (Watch Video)

Actress, producer and UN Goodwill Ambassador Dia Mirza has called for urgent gender-responsive action to ensure the safety of girls and women in public spaces. Her remarks came as India observed National Girl Child Day and National Tourism Day, highlighting the close link between safety, freedom of movement and inclusive development. Priyanka Chopra Shares Sweet Throwback With Dia Mirza on Her Birthday; Says ‘Wish You Lots of Goodness’ (View Pic)

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Dia Mirza on Girls’ Safety and Freedom

Mirza stressed that progress in tourism and urban growth cannot be truly celebrated unless girls and women can move freely without fear. In a statement shared on the occasion, Mirza highlighted how safety directly impacts a girl’s confidence and future opportunities. “A girl who feels safe enough to travel independently today becomes the woman who will move through the world with confidence tomorrow. And yet, for far too many of our girls, public spaces come with a ‘safety tax’, a price paid in fear, in lost time, in constantly calculating routes, clothes, hours, and in dreams that quietly shrink before they even take flight,” she said. She added, “As I mark National Girl Child Day and National Tourism Day, I feel this truth deeply: we cannot celebrate movement, exploration, and freedom while so many girls are still navigating the gap between mobility and fear.”

Data Shows Rising Safety Concerns for Women

Mirza pointed to national and global data to underline the scale of the issue. She noted that nearly 40 percent of women in urban India report feeling unsafe in their own cities, while incidents of harassment among girls and young women under the age of 24 continue to rise. Citing figures from UN Women, Mirza said that up to 70 percent of women globally experience harassment in public spaces. She described this as a growing “trust deficit” that limits girls’ independence and access to opportunities. Dia Mirza Birthday: Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shilpa Shetty Send Heartfelt Wishes to the Actress.

Safer Cities Boost Inclusive Growth

Beyond social impact, Mirza framed women’s safety as an economic concern. She highlighted that tourism contributes nearly 10 percent to global GDP, and fear-driven exclusion reduces participation in education, employment, and economic activity, slowing sustainable growth. According to Mirza, safer cities directly contribute to stronger and more inclusive economies. Mirza called for visible steps to improve safety, including better street lighting, safer public transport systems, and zero tolerance toward harassment. She concluded that designing cities with girls’ safety in mind ultimately creates safer spaces for everyone.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 24, 2026 10:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).