SAFETY OF WOMEN IN METROPOLITAN CITIES

 In India even in the 21st century, women cannot step out of their house at any given time, assured of her physical and sexual safety. Everyday women in this society face more problems than men. The fear of violence and teasing restricts a woman’s anatomy, curtails her mobility and her ability to work and participate in social activities. Even today in India, women can’t move at night in secluded places and even at daytime at crowded places. Hundreds and thousands of incidents of physical / sexual abuse and culturally justified violence happens every day to women in this country.

 Rape is the fastest growing crime in the country today and as many as 18 women are assaulted in some form or the other every hour across India. Over the last few months cases of rapes and assault have made it to the headlines with alarming frequency. Mumbai watched with shame as an ugly mob attacked women on New Year’s Eve. In Latur a 14 year old was raped and killed by four young men. In Konark four men were charged with dragging a woman out of a bus and gang raping her. It is an ordeal simply to file a police report and the investigations thereafter have been stories of apathy and down right humiliation meted out to the victims. Where convicted, punishments have ranged from capital punishments to a day in jail..

 Equally horrific are news reports of foreign tourists being sexually assaulted. An American was molested in Pushkar, a British journalist raped in Goa, Canadian girls attacked in Kumarakom to list the few instances. It looks like that India as a nation has ceased to know how to treat women as human beings who have a right to dignity and safety. The crime against tourists is against our culture of “atithi devo bhava’ Government has decided to meet and discuss with the state government the safety of women tourists as a reaction from the fear that such incidents will impact India’s image.

 Despite the trauma women across all classes are reporting crimes such as rape and assault and do not feel helpless or abandoned by family or society as was the prevalent case before. Society is changing and government is forced to take action as it has run out of excuses such as society’s mindset or class divide.  This is the story not only in India but in most of the other countries as well. Now we the women are the agents of change. Lets not remain silent. Lets not give up. Every woman who is silent is with a voice unheard. So please speak out. And that will bring the change. Bring an end to this bloodshed and humiliations.

 We will never live just for the sake of living as mere survivors. But as real winners of this world.  We are born to live, live in peace, live in unity, live in justice and make lives.  If you want something you never had, do something you have never done….. Don’t go the way life takes you, Take life the way you go…. Remember, You are not living because you are born!!! You are born to live …….

PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT SAFETY OF WOMEN IN METROPOLITAN CITIES

DO U REALLY THINK THAT WOMEN ARE SAFE IN METROPOLITAN CITIES? YES: 14% NO: 86%

HAVE U EVER NOTICED GIRLS BEING TEASED BY BOYS? YES: 76% NO: 24 %

R U AWARE OF ANY MOBILE APP THAT PROVIDES U SAFETY? YES: 10% NO: 90%

ARE U AFRAID TO GO OUT LATE NIGHT(FOR GIRLS)? YES: 75% NO: 25%

WILL U ALLOW UR SISTER OR ANY FEMALE FRIEND TO GO OUT LATE NIGHT(FOR MALE)? YES: 15% NO: 85%

ARE SHORT DRESSES WORN BY GIRLS RESPONSIBLE FOR RAPE CASES? YES: 16% NO: 84%

DO U THINK GOVERNMENT IS DOING WELL TO PROVIDE SAFETY TO WOMEN? YES: 36% NO: 64%

WHERE DO U THINK WOMEN R MOSTLY TEASED BY BOYS? CROWDED AREA: 8% LONELY AREA: 12% ANY AREA: 76% OTHERS: 4%

CAN U TRUST UR MALE RELATIVES REGARDING SAFETY OF FEMALE FAMILY MEMBERS? YES: 88% If yes then, ALL OF THEM: 6% SOME OF THEM: 16% NO: 12%

WHOM DO U CONSIDER FOR ALL THE CRIMES RELATED TO WOMEN? WOMEN: 4% MEN: 12% GOVERNMENT: 8% SOCIETY: 68% OTHERS: 8%

WHERE DO U THINK THAT CRIME AGAINST WOMEN ARE COMITTED MORE? RURAL: 8% URBBAN: 16% BOTH: 76%

PROJECT MADE BY SHAKSHI BACHHETY SUSHMITA SHRESHTHA SUBHANSHI SHIVANI JAIN SHIVANI GUPTA