Tube Safety Showdown: Should London Adopt Women-Only Carriages?

The call for designated women-only carriages on the London Underground has been reignited, setting the stage for a critical discussion on commuter safety, gender equality, and the infrastructure's role in public life. At the heart of this renewed campaign is University College London student Camille Brown, 21, whose experience of harassment on the Tube dates back to her early teens. Brown's petition, which has rapidly garnered over 12,000 signatures, argues that a separate carriage is a pragmatic, immediate option to ensure women can travel without the constant fear of being subjected to unwanted attention, verbal abuse, or physical assault.

Brown details a pattern of escalating harassment, from being catcalled while in her school uniform to a man attempting to sit on her lap. She articulates a growing dread of using public transport that restricts her ability to engage fully in public life. For Brown, the segregated carriage is not about promoting a 'separatist agenda' but about creating a safe, optional space where women can relax and feel less fearful, particularly in light of Transport for London (TfL) statistics showing a troubling rise in reported sexual offences. TfL data indicates 907 reported sexual offences across its services in the first six months of 2025, up from 879 in the same period in 2024. Furthermore, a British Transport Police survey highlighted that only a fraction of witnesses report incidents of sexual harassment, reinforcing a culture of fear and non-accountability that Brown's proposal seeks to circumvent.

The Problem with the 'Band-Aid' Solution

Despite the clear distress and public support for Brown’s initiative, Transport for London has firmly rejected the proposal, stating that "isolating women is not the answer to tackling sexual offences." This stance reflects a significant counter-argument: that segregated transport is merely a 'band-aid' solution. Critics argue that diverting women into a separate car absolves society—and men specifically—of the responsibility to address the root causes of harassment and violence. It risks creating an environment of victim-blaming, where a woman assaulted in a mixed carriage is then implicitly questioned about why she didn't use the 'safer' option. The focus, many argue, should remain squarely on enhanced policing, increased accountability for offenders, and large-scale cultural change and education for men.

Global Precedents: Successes and Complexities

London is not the first global city to grapple with this issue. Numerous countries, primarily in Asia, have already implemented gender-segregated public transport to varying degrees of success.

• Japan: Cities like Tokyo widely employ women-only cars, often during rush hours, specifically to combat chikan (groping). While some women and men praise the measure for providing a quieter, safer journey, there are reports of overcrowding in mixed cars and the policy's effectiveness is often debated, with enforcement sometimes proving difficult.
• India: The Delhi and Mumbai Metro systems extensively use women-only carriages, and sometimes entire 'ladies' special' trains, to combat persistent sexual harassment. These measures are often welcomed by commuters, yet some critics view them as a regressive step that institutionalizes inequality rather than solving the underlying societal problem.
• Mexico and Brazil: These countries have also introduced segregated spaces, often as a direct response to high rates of sexual assault on public transit.

The global experience shows that while women-only carriages can provide a welcomed short-term feeling of security and a practical retreat for many, they rarely serve as the singular long-term solution. In fact, some studies, such as one conducted in Indonesia, have even found that female passengers using the women-only carriages reported higher anxiety levels than those in mixed cars, suggesting the solution is far from universally effective in calming fears.

Ultimately, the debate on the London Tube pits the immediate need for a safe refuge against the long-term goal of a universally safe public space. While Camille Brown sees a simple, infrastructure-based option to improve her daily life, TfL and other commentators view the proposal as a distraction from the more complex, necessary work of holding perpetrators accountable and fostering a culture where all public spaces are safe for all genders. London's decision will be a significant indicator of whether the city prioritizes pragmatic segregation for immediate relief or a more challenging, holistic approach to combatting sexual offences.