The Short Read
- The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board is implementing the Safe Tourism Destinations for Women Initiative under the Tourism Department of the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
- The project aims to create women-friendly tourism spaces through safety audits, awareness campaigns, stakeholder training, self-defence training, and greater women’s participation at tourist spots.
- Madhya Pradesh Tourism says the initiative will cover 20 clusters and 50 destinations. It will train 40,000 women and girls in self-defence, skill 10,000 women, and create job opportunities for 5,000 women in tourism.
- A PIB note from the Ministry of Women and Child Development said the project spans 50 tourist destinations across 33 districts. It is funded under the Nirbhaya Fund.
- UN Women has highlighted the programme as an example of women transforming tourism in India. UN notes its goals around hospitality training, self-defence and women’s participation across Madhya Pradesh.
Safe Tourism Destinations for Women Initiative puts safety and livelihoods together
The Safe Tourism Destinations for Women Initiative in Madhya Pradesh has received fresh attention after UN Women highlighted the programme’s role in making tourism safer and more inclusive for women.
The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board is running the project under the state’s Tourism Department. According to Madhya Pradesh Tourism, the initiative aims to create a women-friendly environment. It aims to improve women’s safety and enable women tourists to travel independently and with confidence.
The project is not limited to tourist safety alone. It also focuses on women’s employment in tourism.
Madhya Pradesh Tourism says the initiative covers 20 clusters and 50 destinations across the state. Its targets include training 40,000 women and girls in self-defence, skilling 10,000 women, and creating tourism-linked job opportunities for 5,000 women.
A June 2025 PIB note from the Ministry of Women and Child Development said the project is funded under the Nirbhaya Fund and executed by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department. The same note said it covers 50 tourist destinations across 33 districts, with work around infrastructure, skilling, sensitisation and advocacy under the theme Sankalp Surakshit Paryatan Ka.
The PIB note also recorded women beneficiaries working in tourism-linked roles, such as e-rickshaw operators, street food vendors, mehendi artists, souvenir makers, sales assistants, storytellers, boat women, and caregivers, after receiving skill and self-defence training.
The UN Women feature
UN Women’s feature on women transforming tourism in India highlighted the programme’s goal of training 10,000 women in hospitality and 40,000 women in self-defence across 50 destinations in Madhya Pradesh. It also framed women’s visibility in public tourism spaces as part of a broader shift in confidence and participation.
For women travellers, the idea is simple: a destination should not rely only on reputation. Safety needs visible systems. That includes trained local stakeholders, better lighting, safer routes, responsive support, women’s presence in tourism roles and people on the ground who understand gender-sensitive travel.
For local women, the project can open a second door. Tourism jobs are often close to home and linked to local knowledge, food, craft, transport, guiding and hospitality. If designed well, such programmes can help women earn, move in public spaces with more confidence and become visible participants in the visitor economy.
It connects with the larger policy conversation around women travellers in India. Himachal Pradesh’s She Travel Policy for women travellers also points to a growing state-level focus on women’s safety, confidence and participation in tourism.
The next test for Madhya Pradesh will be consistency. Women travellers will benefit only if the promised safety measures are visible at actual destinations. Local women will benefit only if training leads to stable income, regular work and continued support.
The Change in Content view
The Safe Tourism Destinations for Women Initiative is useful because it treats safety and livelihood as connected issues.
Women do not experience tourism only as visitors. They can be guides, drivers, hosts, sellers, storytellers, boat operators, entrepreneurs and local leaders. A safer tourism destination should instil confidence in women who travel and generate income for women who live there.
For women planning travel to Madhya Pradesh, the practical takeaway is to look for destinations where trained local women, tourist facilitation centres, verified guides, safe transport, and official support systems are readily available. Safety is strongest when it is built into the destination, not left to individual caution.
Editorial Note and Sources
This Policy Pulse article by Change in Content is based on official information from Madhya Pradesh Tourism, a PIB release from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, and UN Women’s public feature on women transforming tourism in India. The reference article was used only for topic awareness and has not been cited. The article is informational and does not certify any destination as risk-free. Women travellers should still check current local conditions, official tourism advisories, transport options and accommodation safety before travelling.
Sources used
- Madhya Pradesh Tourism page on Safe Tourism Destination for Women
- PIB release on the Safe Tourism Destination for Women Project under the Nirbhaya Fund
- UN Women Feature on women transforming tourism in India
