LONDON: Megacities of the future will boast high-speed rail, superfast broadband, and green energy systems – but experts Thursday said they were failing to leave space for one thing: girls.

In 2014, 54 percent of the population lived in cities but by 2050 this is expected to rise to 66 percent, according to the United Nations.

The number of megacities – which are home to more than 10 million people – has tripled since 1990 to 31, and U.N. Habitat predicts this will rise to 41 by 2030 .

Girls in India often lack safe spaces and choose to stay at school after classes as they fear returning to crowded family houses where they feel vulnerable to harassment and attack, said Kumar of Naadi, which runs after-school clubs for girls.

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