City unsafe for women

A recent nationwide survey carried out by ActionAid has unveiled some disturbing facts. Nearly half the respondents are of the opinion that women face harassment in public places and 9 out of 10 women experience one form of sexual harassment or another in crowded places such as public transportation hubs. With most women preferring to avoid making a formal complaint to law enforcement agencies due to cumbersome procedures that are perceived to be stacked against the complainant, the practice of picking on women has become somewhat of a national pastime for a large number in our society.

That disregard for women run high was underscored once again when muggers felt no compunction in dragging a woman 50 yards over Mirpur road on October 28 in a bid to snatch her handbag. We have become so desensitized to the gentler gender that we may stoop so low as to drag a woman to her death for her purse. As this is hardly a problem that can be tackled by formulation of new laws or enforcement of old ones, what has come to light is that there is need for collective action by State and non-State actors. There is heightened need for gender-sensitive information to be incorporated in regular curricula in primary and secondary education levels. Existing perceptions about the situation may only change when proactive measures are taken to change mindset of people that such despicable behaviour is morally reprehensible and demeaning to half the population.