HOW SAFE ARE WOMEN?
By Navtej/Navita
One woman killed for dowry, a minor raped by an acquaintance, eve-teasing in broad day light, road rage leads to death of a woman driver these are the headlines of everyday newspaper. On one hand, we talk of women liberation and on the other, we are so cruel to them. Is this humanity? The land where women are considered to be the manifestation of Goddess Durga and Shakti, there they are worshipped in so many forms, should they witness such ghastly crime? -folk is shocking.
What is surprising is that these incidents occur in big cities, where most of the people are educated and broad-minded as compared to rural India where honouring a women is not acceptable. It's high time that awareness is created amongst people; organisation of the Police Force is done on such humanitarian issues. We should stop treating women as an object but rather look at them as home makers, mothers, sisters, colleagues and friends. With increasing pressures on family life, with increasing education and awareness, it is evident that women need to work. We all require money and comfort, then isn't it our duty to make their safety our prime concern? We must consider safety options for them, increase police patrolling in lonely places and sensitive areas like colleges, hostels and universities. Women police and personnel should be mobilised and women should be given training in Self-Defence and Martial Arts. Self-defence techniques should be taught to girls and women in schools and colleges mandatorily. Police should adopt sensitive approach in handling cases of atrocities against women, so that women can come out to lodge complaints more openly. Punishments should be given for heinous crimes like rape and dowry deaths. All these measures, if heeded can go a long way in making life of women safer and better.