Every day, hundreds of trains worldwide operate as essential public transportation, relied upon by countless commuters traveling to and from work. Unlike congested roads, trains usually offer a traffic-free trip with the capacity to accommodate numerous passengers all at once. Considering this, despite their tendency to be crowded, many prefer trains as a mode of travel, seeing them as the best option available.
However, it cannot be denied that such a sense of comfort and safety is not a reality for everyone. Despite the advancements of the 21st century, many women are still strangers to the luxury of not having to constantly watch over their shoulders or worry about who might be lurking nearby on a fully packed public transit.
This narrative, where women are all too familiar with the harsh problem of sexual harassment and assault on public transportation, was brought to light again by a recent social media post featuring a women-only train in Japan.
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Captioned with, “never felt so comfortable!” this video featuring only women passengers immediately gained a lot of engagement. Women were seen commenting on how nice it would be to have such a train available in their country. Sentiments about how the space seems so safe and peaceful for a commute are also hard to miss.
While this trend might seem innocent to some, the concept of women-only trains in Japan actually has a dark history to it. These trains, commonly found in metropolitan areas and primarily operating during rush hours, became permanent in the early 2000s due to rising cases of chikan—a term referring to sexual molestation and its perpetrators in Japan. Women in crowded trains and buses were frequently targeted for inappropriate touching and groping.
Unfortunately, despite efforts to mitigate chikan in Japan just like the existence of women-only trains, numerous reports still reveal many cases of such indecent acts, and to make it worse, not just in Japan but in other countries as well.
Just a year ago, BBC News shared a documentary about “catching the men who sell subway groping videos.” It was discovered that secretly taken videos of chikan from different parts of East Asia, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China, are shared and tragically sold online.
Taking all of this into account, women-only transportation in Japan and other parts of the world like India and Mexico offers comfort to women seeking safe travel home. However, it’s important to recognize that these services are temporary solutions to a broader global issue faced by women.
The relevance of women-only trains persists today due to ongoing issues with gender-based violence and harassment, whether it be in public transportation where there are potential witnesses or in situations where there are no bystanders at all to offer assistance. This underscores the need for collective action and innovative solutions more than ever.
And yes, addressing these alarming concerns requires the cooperation of everyone, including men. In the viral video, many noticed several comments from men expressing disapproval of the fact that there’s a space like trains in Japan dedicated only to women. However, it’s crucial to realize that such an initiative isn’t intended to alienate or offend men but rather to address a specific safety concern that disproportionately affects women. Just as women have the right to feel safe and comfortable during their travels, men should support measures that contribute to this objective. Only then can we progress towards a more inclusive environment that accommodates everyone, regardless of gender.
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