The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Gender equality should be given a chance at work place

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 26, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Gender equality should be given a chance at work place

A dangerous practice

WORKING WOMEN are at peril whether they do night shifts or not. Gender bias is expressed in various forms by male colleagues and superiors at almost all work places. The attitude of men is yet to change. In regard to a case of sexual assault and murder of a woman employee of a call centre, it is time that such organisations began using their own vehicles and employ drivers on their pay roll. The system of hiring vehicles, driven by persons whose character is unknown, is a dangerous practice.

Sheila Raj,

Cox Town

Provide accommodation

AS AN immediate measure, call centre managements should arrange to provide accommodation on the working premises during the night for women employees. They can be safely dropped back next morning. The information technology (IT)/call centre firms can certainly afford to do this in quick time. Long-term measures for the safety of women employees can then be thought of.

C.B. Dyuthikar,

Malleswaram

BMTC move good

WHY SHOULD it take a horrible murder for us to wake up to the risk working women face every day? At least call centre staff get picked up and dropped back. Many other women work well past 9 p.m. and have to depend on public transportation. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC)'s move to introduce more buses for women is welcome; these buses should run at least till 10.30 p.m. if the services are to benefit more women. The bus crew can also be women for added safety.

Farha M.,

Fraser Town

Intensify patrolling

WHILE SOME IT firms have strict rules about the transportation arranged for women employees, many others appear to be indifferent to the safety of their women employees. The statement of NASSCOM President Kiran Karnik that long-term measures will be planned and taken up is a good sign. The police need to intensify night patrolling in outlying areas such as Kanakapura Road. Let Prathiba's murder be the last such incident to happen in this city.

Babita S.,

Indiranagar

Counselling will help

BANGALORE MAY become the crime capital of India. Dramatic statement about sending rapists to the gallows or blaming the police will not help. There is a need to counsel working women and prepare them physically and mentally to face any eventuality. While one cannot prevent women from working night shifts, there can be a practice of a four night-shift-a-week, not exceeding 50 hours altogether. The managements of business process outsourcing (BPO) firms should be responsible for the safety of their women employees.

K. Harikrishnan,

Wilson Garden

Compartments for women

MAINTAINING COMPANY vehicles and drivers, deputing women security personnel during night transportation and giving day shift work to as many women employees as possible will prevent crime against them. Vehicles used at night can have a wire mesh separating the staff from the driver and doors that can only be locked from inside, as in the compartments for women on trains.

K.T. Thimmareddy,

RT Nagar

Self-defence techniques

WHILE MANY working women face some kind of sexual harassment at work; what happened to Prathiba was most cruel and inhuman. While the law will do justice and punish the culprit, it is time more working women acquire, at least, basic self-defence techniques.

Call centres should employ the services of honest and disciplined ex-servicemen to escort women employees while travelling to and from work.

S. Manjula,

Jayanagar

Safety the main issue

THE CONSCIENCE of the entire city has been stirred. Now is the time for working women to assert their rights and also demand that their safety become the main consideration of their employers. Unionising is not a bad idea but cannot be the only solution. Male colleagues should do some introspection and ask themselves whether they are being considerate all the time to the women working with them. Gender equality has to prevail in the working place.

Karen Anand,

Austin Town

Difficult conditions

SAFER TRANSPORTATION for women working at night has to be the responsibility of managements, men colleagues and the police, each doing their duty. Conditions are difficult for working women in a male dominated society. While every woman may not be sexually assaulted, they do face other criminal hazards every day. The move to run more buses late in the night exclusively for women is a good idea. They should also have women conductors and if necessary, an armed guard.

Jaya Sridharamurthy,

New Thippasandra

NEXT WEEK: The Government is amending the Universities Act to enable it to nominate persons of its choice to Bangalore University Syndicate. The Vice-Chancellor has suggested that nominated persons should have an academic background and be capable of improving academic standards in the university. Is the Government's move justified? Readers can send their views to The Hindu, 19&21, Bhagwan (Infantry Road) Mahavir Road, Bangalore 560 001 or email them to bglreflections@thehindu.co.in.

Cox Town

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