On Wednesday I’ll be attending the ORF (Observer Research Foundation) conference on women in cities Half a Billion Locked In: Perspectives on Safe Cities and Women Empowerment.

ORF strives to provide a forum for reasoned debate and policy formulation on the key issues confronting India today.  The ability of women in India – those half a billion! – to move freely without unreasonable fear is fundamental not only for human and civil rights but also for economic development, educational advances, health care, and political participation.