New Delhi: Women in Delhi can now look forward
to traveling in the national capital safely and with respect. Some 2,000 home guards deployed in the Delhi Transport Corporation buses have undergone gender sensitization trainings, as part of a campaign to make Delhi a safe and dignified place for women. The idea is to make these marshals agents of change, the organizers explained. UN Women launched the program on September 17 in partnership with Manas Foundation and Delhi Transport Corporation at the India Habitat Centre, Lodi Road. Titled Barabari ki dagar (equal status), surakshit safar (safe journey) campaign, the project aims at ensuring safe transport to women. Manas Foundation has already conducted similar trainings to some 85,000 auto drivers and taxi drivers in the city. Kamla Bhasin (Jagori) chaired the launch of the training for the home guards. Other participants were Minister of Transport and Rural Development Gopal Rai, Rebecca Tavares, the UN Women representative for India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka; Monica Kumar, managing trustee of Manas Foundation and Gulshan Kumar Marshal. The project was initiated in the wake of the gangrape and murder of a young woman on December 16, 2012. The project aims to bring about a change in the way people and women specifically view public transport and to change the general view of deterrence to acceptance. Besides training of home guards, the DTC buses will display stickers with slogans on women equality. Bhasin stressed the need to bringing about a change in mindset of all in the current patriarchal society that discriminates women. She noted that the December 16, 2012 gang rape has reduced tourist arrival in India by 35 percent. According to her, the public have to join the government to bring about a lasting impact in society and to ensure the ‘Right to Loiter’ of women. The policies proposed can only be useful if it is backed by people’s initiative. She ended by saying, ‘Hinsa tab mitegi, jab hamari soch badlegi” (violence will end only when we change our thoughts). Rebecca Tavares, who spoke on Sustainable Development Goals, called for renewed thrust on women’s issues. Various surveys have revealed that women feel most unsafe in public spaces, bus stops and railway stations, she said. The project will have two-fold impact namely, to increase access to safe and reliable transport for women and to sensitize the marshals and change their attitude toward women. Minister Gopal Rai said the campaign by Manas Foundation has brought in the attitude of drivers to women. He said law is not enough to bring a change but equal participation of society is essential. Gulshan Kumar, one of the marshals deployed on the DTC buses, noted society blames women for harassment they face. The Marshals have a crucial role to shift the blame from the victim to the accused, he acknowledged He wants women to have the freedom to go out during late hours and wear whatever they wish.