A French designer’s post about feeling safe as a woman in Ahmedabad has gone viral on social media. 23-year-old Julia Chaigneau shared that she is trying to build her business in India and has never been in a place safer than the city.
“I lived in Ahmedabad, Gujarat (India) for a year and honestly, I never felt safer,” Chaigneau wrote. Her remark prompted an X user to ask, “Your first line. I lived in Ahmedabad, Gujarat (India) for a year and honestly, I never felt safer. Don't make sense, might you want to say - I never felt this safer earlier?” The French woman replied, “Yes yes I made an English mistake.”
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In the following lines, she continued, “As a woman, safety is always on my mind. So when I first moved to India, many of my friends worried about me. But living in a dry state changed my perspective. It made me see how certain choices at a city level can actually influence how safe a place feels.”
She shared that she stays in a gated community that has “brought together both Indians and foreigners,” adding, “This is not to say everywhere in India is safe, every city and every state is different, but from my experience, Ahmedabad has been really great to live in.”
{{/usCountry}}She shared that she stays in a gated community that has “brought together both Indians and foreigners,” adding, “This is not to say everywhere in India is safe, every city and every state is different, but from my experience, Ahmedabad has been really great to live in.”
{{/usCountry}}She concluded the post with two pictures showing glimpses of her life in Gujarat.
How did social media react?
An individual expressed, “I have Lived in Ahmedabad for the majority of my life and have figured it’s difficult to understand the greatness of Ahmedabad until you stay for a longer time.” Another remarked, "It's also the first heritage city of India. I'm sure you'd have had a chance to go through the old heritage city walks.” Chaigneau responded, “Yes, I did it last winter with some friends. It was amazing!”
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A third posted, “As far as I’m concerned, most places in Gujarat are safe. I never feel safer than I do in Gujarat.” A fourth wrote, "Thank you for sharing your beautiful experience about my city.”
Who is Julia Chaigneau?
“Hi, I'm Julia, a French designer living in India for the last 2 years. I have a cat named Divine who followed me in all my adventures from France to Denmark to India,” Chaigneau wrote in her X bio. She shared that she is building her business with her co-founder, Prachi.