Stay Safe, Girl!

STAY SAFE, GIRL!
Bangalore was never considered an unsafe city for women. But growing attacks against them indicate that the comfortable situation could change...
The Times of India

BANGALORE’S streets are getting mean. And it’s going from bad to worse for women here. In less than a week, at least six-seven incidents of mugging and assaults against women have been reported. City women are afraid. Living in the shadow of fear means that an evening walk, returning home from work, a night out or even waiting for a cab... virtually everything is becoming an ordeal. Yet the crimes continue with no solution in sight. What’s making the city so women-unfriendly?

DAY AND NIGHT ORDEAL:
Police stations have recorded more crimes against women during the late evening and night than during the day. But it’s not just late at night; women are unsafe in broad daylight too. On Friday, a woman shopper was mugged in a busy shopping area, at 11 am. A few days earlier, a woman software engineer who was returning home around 10 pm by auto rickshaw was mugged by two motorcycleborne assailants in Ulsoor.

Where’s help for women?
It’s best to just dial 100 if you are in trouble, especially after 8 pm. The women’s helpline, Vanitha Sahaya Vani (1091), at the office of the police commissioner is open from only 8 am to 8 pm. Says volunteer Prema, “Women in trouble can call us and we will co-ordinate with the police for help.” Earlier, several women’s organisations planned to get together and man the helpline 24-hours a day on rotation. But the plan did not take off because there were volunteer constraints like late-night transportation, no counter support from the police and since they worked on a voluntary basis, insufficient incentives.

PROTECT US, PLEASE:
Many women feel that the all-women police stations in the city are not too effective. Says lawyer/activist Rekha Malle, “There has to be a dedicated 24-hour women’s helpline. Women’s police stations only have the power to counsel, they cannot really protect women in danger or take major decisions on their own. Women need more reassurance than that.” Activist Anna Lopez says, “Rising crime against women really worries me, especially when I know I am working late or going out. The authorities must take this threat. Unless there’s more patrolling and much harsher punishments, not much will change.”

OVERHAUL THE WHOLE SYSTEM:
When public places are poorly planned or designed they can become very unsafe for women. Activist Swati Ramanathan says that certain systems must be put into place to tackle the problem effectively. “Better lighting on city roads is imperative. You cannot have faulty lights replaced months later. Safety audits can be done in the whole city to identify zones where such crimes are high and patrolling must be increased in those places. Also, patrolling must be done logically and the community can be involved through outreach programmes. Passersby also must reach out to help people in trouble — we owe it to each other.”