India Today Group and Durex have released The Birds and Bees Talk (TBBT) Consent Culture Report, billed as India’s first large-scale primary study focused exclusively on women’s lived experiences of consent. Forming part of the India Today Group’s Gross Domestic Behaviour Survey, the report moves beyond attitudinal snapshots to examine how consent plays out in relationships, families, workplaces and public life.
Conducted by CVoter between May 5–20, 2026, the study surveyed 6,379 women aged 18+ across every Indian state, in 11 languages, with a margin of error of ±3% at the macro level.
The headline finding is a widening gap between understanding and autonomy: the newly created Consent Empowerment Index scores awareness at 59/100 against actual lived experience at just 44, for an overall score of 52. While 79% agreed “no means no,” only 36% recognised that pressured agreement isn’t real consent.
The report traces this gap across settings – only 36% said their withdrawal of consent during intimacy was respected; 17% reported being physically forced into intercourse by a partner; 48% faced unwanted touching in public; and just 44% felt able to decline unsafe workplace requests.
Despite the challenges, optimism around solutions is strong: 86% support mandatory consent education, ideally starting between ages 10–14, and 65% favour better parenting and teaching boys respect over punitive measures alone.
The report positions itself as a fresh evidence base for policymakers, educators and organisations shaping India’s conversation on consent and gender equity.
