The south division police have launched an initiative called ‘Akka-Thayi’ (sister and mother) to reach out to working women in the unorganised sector who are more at risk of abuse and harassment because of the nature of their jobs.
“There are thousands of women in workforce in the garment industry and other unorganised sectors. Many silently suffer owing to the lack of support and help. Akka-Thayi is aimed at helping them resolve their problems and empowering them,” said Rohini Katoch Sepat, DCP (south division).
As part of the initiative, which was launched on Friday, the police visit factories and places and hold meetings with the women. The first interactive session was held at Kumaraswamy Layout with employees of two garment factories. “Many women hesitate to file complaints, so we installed mobile complaint boxes and distributed papers to them. We asked them to write down their concerns and put it in the box,” Ms. Rohini said.
One of the key problems that the women wanted addressed was their commute to work and areas along their route that are not well lit. The police have identified dark spots and are working with the BBMP and the BMTC officials to provide necessary infrastructure. “We are helping the women to reclaim the space,” said Ms. Rohini.
Within an hour, the police received four complaints, which included cases of harassment and safety while travelling. Many women take the metro at Yelachenahalli station but the area is poorly lit. A day after receiving the complaints, police personnel were directed to take action. “Beat policemen have been directed to patrol the area around the station regularly,” said a police officer.
WhatsApp groups
The police intend for Akka-Thayi to be a long-term initiative. Women police personnel at the jurisdictional area have been asked to start a WhatsApp group for employees as part of a series of confidence-building measures.
