New Delhi   

Towards a safer world for women

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Jagori, a non-government organisation, is attempting to literally "light" the way to safety for women. Having launched a "Safe Delhi Campaign" to try and reduce the rising crime against women in December last, it is now planning to tie-up with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Delhi Government to provide better lighting on the streets of the Capital.

Safety audits conducted by Jagori in various parts of the city since August last, indicate that proper lighting is an important issue. "Lighting is one the biggest issues we feel. It came up in the 22 safety audits we conducted across the city. So we are hoping to partner with CII and the Delhi Government to overcome this problem.

The idea is to identify areas that are poorly lit on main roads and secondary roads. The aim is to target public commercial places," said Jagori co-ordinator Kalpana Viswanath.

These audits were designed on the lines of Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children (METRAC) safety audits. METRAC is a task force that was formed in 1982 in Toronto when there was a series of brutal attacks on women and children in the city. It was the first to develop a women's safety audit process in Canada, a method to evaluate the environment from the point of view of those who feel the most vulnerable, so that it reduces the chances of an assault. These audits helped activists to identify areas that were prone to violence and then helped urban planners to make them safer.

Adapting this to Indian conditions, Jagori has conducted safety audits in different parts of the city. Some of these were done with the collaboration of residents' welfare associations as well as members of the community so that they could identify places vulnerable for women.

These lighting audits, which will be similar to the safety audits, will now be conducted across the city with the help of Jagori.

"We will start these audits soon. After identifying the places we will tell CII which will then work with the power companies and Delhi Government to ensure that these places are better lit. The idea is to get the lights installed fast and not wait endlessly," added Ms. Viswanath.

Apart from lighting, Jagori will also be conducting sensitisation workshops with transport staff. Targeting bus conductors and drivers as well as the drivers of three-wheeler auto-rickshaws and taxis, these workshops will not only be about making them gender sensitive, but giving specific ways to help women.

"They will be told how to prevent crime against women as well as what their role can be to prevent this. The aim is to get them on board to fight crime against women. We will be targeting not only DTC bus drivers, but those on private buses too," said Ms. Vishwanath.

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