PSTC training alum Girija Borker (Economics), now part of the Impact Evaluation unit of the Development Research Group (DECRG) at the World Bank, is studying how gender gaps in data affect gender inequality, looking particularly at sexual harassment in public spaces and education in India. As part of a larger UN initiative aimed at providing more accurate and accessible big data on gender, Borker examined the connection between street harassment in Delhi and women’s educational decisions.

In Delhi, 95% of women of reproductive age report feeling unsafe in public spaces. Using student surveys, Google Maps data, and safety incident reports from mobile phone applications, Borker concluded that women’s educational choices are heavily constrained by the risk of harassment and sexual assault. She found that despite higher marks than men on secondary school exams, women often choose poorer quality colleges and accept longer commute times in an attempt to avoid sexual harassment and assault. The data indicated that women are generally willing to choose a college that ranks in the bottom 50% over one in the top 20% in order to travel by a route that offers only a 3.1% decrease in the risk of rape. Moreover, women annually spend $310 USD more than men on commuting costs for added safety.

The consequences of women attending lower quality schools to feel safer are felt throughout their lives, as future earnings and labor force participation are reduced as a result. Borker found that this may also affect India’s economic productivity as a society, since working-age women’s labor force participation rates stagnated at 26–28% in urban areas from 1987-2011.

The study further suggests that investments to increase public safety, such as improved street lighting and adding security on public transit, can help to reduce gender gaps in school quality, transportation expenses, and commuting time.

More information on strides in gender data and the importance of these studies can be found in a recent article from Devex.