# Living and working as single woman in Delhi



## silke

Dear all,
I plan to move to Delhi as an female engineer.
How is the living for a woman in Delhi? Will I get problems for example renting a flat as woman? Will I get problems on the streets? 
Of course I know Delhi is a big city and I have to consider some essential rules like in other big citys in the world as well, like no going out alone in dark streets etc.
But I want to know which experience have you made with living in Delhi as a woman?

Thank you in advance

Best regards
Silke


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## likith_jogi

Hallo Silke, 

I'm not from delhi. but it wont be a problem to find a flat for rent. coming to safety, none of the cities are safer in india. you get mugged or bitten up or more(not all the times). In Bangalore it safe until 11 PM after that its little bit unsafe to travel alone. people are very much friendly in india(but still you get conned) no need to worry about walking alone in streets in the day. 

Gruß,
Likith


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## saraswat

As far as staying in Delhi, where would you be working ? The best/most secure place to live would be in Gurgaon. This is a new development with modern completely secure housing developments, those would be the ideal choice. Noida also features similar gated communities. I would also recommend wotking out a dedicated driver through your company, it is not unusual.

Finally, given unfortunate events, a local channel channel V has come out with an emergency app, it's on android right now but itunes too shortly:

Download This Emergency App: VithU

Recommended to have that just in case. For the most part always stick to populated areas and be with colleagues, friends and you should be fine.


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## bhraman

Hi Silke,

I have been living in Delhi for seven years ago (by myself). 

Most important rule of thumb is avoid going out once it gets dark unless you're going via your own car with driver or a radio cab (or friend's car). I refer Meru Cabs if that helps. Any public transport as a foreigner in the evening/night means taking unnecessary chances. Don't go out unless you know how you will come back. Don't rely on finding someone drop you back at a party, always always be sure how you will get home afterwards. 

Any men asking for your number when you first meet them should be avoided. Anyone too nice to you when you meet them, trying to help you and asking you lots and lots of questions about how you like it here, etc...don't take everything on face value. Stick to people introduced to you by friends/colleagues for a start and then slowly build a social circle. There is also a German group called "Man spricht Deutsch" (on facebook as well), else there are a few expat-only groups that also meet up quite often. 

I avoid reading the local newspapers. I am more sane not to know about gruesome news of stuff that can happen to a woman in Delhi/NCR. 

Renting is not an issue but also depends on where you plan to stay. Gurgaon is fine, GK, South Ex, Lodhi, whatever you can afford. South Delhi is full of foreigners but doesn't always come cheap. If you want a flatshare, post it on Yuni Net (Yahoo group) and preferably find a women-only flatshare. Less trouble on all ends. 

Overall...listen to your gut feeling and you will be fine.


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## Edmund Shrader

There won't be a problem in finding a place to stay, but security is a big concern in India for women.


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## mahesh2013

Yes agree with above comments. Being Indian, i feel ashamed of some of the things which goes in our country and especially in Delhi with women's safety. I am not from Delhi but know some expats had good experience there on the contrary. 

Having said that below are some points to keep in mind -

1. India is not west. There are all kinds of people here - educated, illiterate, upbringing etc. 
2. Do not venture out late at night and especially alone. If you are with good friends then not much of an issue. 
3. Do not make use of public transport like ricks and buses in the late nights. 
4. Try to have arrangement done with the company for transportation if possible. If not, then private cabs would be best option like Meeru. 
5. Do not wear revealing clothes in day or at night. Even shorts will attract unwanted attention. People here are not much used to seeing women wearing short clothes. 
6. Always have emergency nos. ready and apps like Women's Safety App in Android store which can alert authorities in case of emergency and also GPS. 
7. Do not trust anyone blindly, doesn't matter how friendly they appear to be. Not everyone is bad but it always help to be alert. 
8. Select good locality to live where there other expats too. Sites like http://www.internations.org could help you there.

I hope this helps.


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## GabrielB

*You will be fine - but use your head*

Hi there, I have visited India many times and a female friend of mine lived in Delhi for two years until recently. She raved about the experience - she loved it! However she did say that she did not feel that safe at night time as a woman, but, with a certain amount of sensible caution and using your brain you will be fine. She had to get used to doing things slightly differently, but once she was familiar with these then she felt safe again. 
Dressing conservatively is a must for avoiding unwanted attention. If you are getting into a taxi or tuk tuk alone, especially at night, it is a good practice to be seen taking a picture of the license plate and driver ID if there is one - he will assume you are sending it to a friend for safety purposes (even if you do not plan to send it). Alternatively make a phone call (or a fake phone call) and read out the license number. If the driver is a dodgy character then he is much more likely to drop you at your destination safety if he knows he would be traceable if he did anything wrong.
There are obviously exceptions - such as the recent Uber scandal, however, these instances are rare and can happen anywhere in the world. India certainly has a rape problem however this is primarily with woman in more rural communities. 
You will be fine - enjoy your experience.


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