A campaign against harassment to be launched on Tashkent buses

Tashkent city transport service (Toshshahartranshizmat) launches a campaign to raise awareness about preventing harassment in public transport. A new type of ticket with an inscription about the prevention of harassment will be launched on November 25 – on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The ticket will inform victims of harassment to ask the conductor for help. As part of it, an emergency call button will appear on Tashkent buses. 

This decision was initiated by the results of a survey of public opinion on harassment in public transport conducted among the Tashkent population of different ages by random sampling in Uzbek and Russian languages. The results of the survey, which included about 100 participants, of whom 77.5% were women and 22.5% were men, showed that 12.5% of those surveyed had been harassed frequently on public transportation, and 40% had been harassed once or twice on public transportation.

According to the data, 87% of respondents consider this problem to be urgent. However, 93% of respondents do not know about any measures aimed at preventing or counteracting harassment in public transport.

On the question regarding the reasons why victims do not seek help, the following answers were received:

Do not know how to behave - 49%

Do not believe in punishing the perpetrator - 22%

Feeling of guilt and shame - 19,5%

Fear of the perpetrator - 8.5%