A series of controversial posters that recently appeared in Ahmedabad’s Sola and Chandlodia areas have drawn sharp criticism for their messaging on women’s safety. Purportedly part of a traffic safety campaign, the posters advised women to avoid late-night outings and isolated areas, suggesting such behavior could lead to rape or gangrape.
Messages printed on the posters included statements such as: “Do not attend late-night parties, you could be raped or gangraped,” and “Do not go with your friend to dark, isolated areas, what if she is raped or gangraped?” The content was widely condemned by the public and opposition parties, who accused the campaign of promoting victim-blaming rather than addressing the root causes of sexual violence.
Responding to the backlash, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic West) Neeta Desai clarified that the Ahmedabad traffic police had not approved the posters. She explained that while permission had been granted for a traffic safety awareness initiative by Satarkta Group, a local NGO, the messaging that appeared in public was not part of the approved campaign.
“The NGO had shown us posters related to traffic safety during their proposal for awareness programmes in educational institutions,” Desai said. “However, the posters that were displayed on the streets were entirely different and were put up without our knowledge. They were removed as soon as we were made aware of them.”
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) strongly condemned the incident, accusing the BJP-led Gujarat government of failing to ensure women’s safety. In a statement, AAP said the posters reflect the ground reality, contradicting the government’s claims of women’s empowerment. “In the last three years alone, Gujarat has reported over 6,500 rape cases and more than 36 gang rapes an average of over five rapes a day,” the party said.
AAP also challenged the government’s commitment to women’s freedom and safety, questioning whether women in Gujarat are expected to remain indoors after dark.
The incident has reignited debate over how public messaging on women’s safety should be framed and whether such campaigns reinforce harmful stereotypes or genuinely protect women’s rights.
