Extending closing time of food joints and coffee shops by a few hours, and deploying marshals in the city buses are some of the solutions that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has to ensure the safety of women in the Capital.
The party will discuss these measures and the scope of implementing them in the event of getting another shot at power here. In its bid to connect with different sections of society, the party is holding Delhi Dialogue. Women’s issues, their safety being the topmost priority, will be discussed at the next meeting, scheduled for November 26.
According to party leader Atishi Marlena, if eateries were allowed to extend their working hours, the bustling environment would encourage footfalls as well as activity. People’s presence on the streets, she said, could act as deterrent for mischief-makers, who generally target lone women .
On the issue of deploying guards or marshals in the buses, she said due to better and more organised security apparatus by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, incidents of eve-teasing or misbehaviour with women on the metro are not reported frequently.
“We do understand that merely deploying security guards in crowded buses may not be the best solution, but we can make arrangements for marshals to board and de-board the buses at regular intervals and even carry out surprise checks. This will instil a belief in women passengers and those harassing them that such incidents will be dealt with instantly,” said Ms. Marlena. The party also batted for a CCTV network across the Capital, including the public transport system. On transport, the party said, it would make efforts to ensure last mile connectivity in every corner of the city.
With a three-pronged approach of ensuring empowerment, safety, and employment for women, the AAP will reveal more on its strategy in the next Delhi Dialogue, which it plans to celebrate as women’s empowerment day.
“We have been in talks with experts and are working on several aspects that the working women face. There are many young women, students and professionals, who come to the city for work and study. Single women find it tough to locate a house on rent. That is another issue we are looking at,” said party leader Ashish Khetan.
