What Delhi's Women Want from the Chief Minister

On the occasion of Women's Day, the Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal said, "We should make Delhi a city where every woman feels free and lives happily." A slew of relevant measures were also announced, but words have been said earlier and they haven't made Delhi any safer.

It's been 90 days, and women are a major votebank, Mr Kejriwal; ensuring their safety means ensuring their votes.

We asked the women of Delhi what they want from their Chief Minister and this is what they said.

1. No dark areas.

Delhi has far too many dark areas which are a haven for criminals. Ensure that every dark area in Delhi is lit at night. Instead of blaming women for being out past sunset, it would be much more effective to make all areas in the capital safe. Besides, effective street lighting benefits all citizens, not just a section of women.

2. Well-lit, well-guarded buses.

All buses (private or government) plying in Delhi should be lit well enough for people to be able to see inside the bus and should be guarded at all times. Don't guard buses only at night, our ailing city needs this during the day too. Ask any woman using public transport in Delhi and she will tell you how sexual harassment does not depend on the time of the day. The buses should be monitored via GPS 24x7.

3. Shutting clubs, restaurants won't help.

Please stop equating safety of women with shutting down the nightlife of the city. The first response after every incident should not be to clamp down on clubs and restaurants. Please correct this irrational approach. There will be no change in sexual assault statistics whether clubs remain open till 12am or 4am.

4. Sensitise the police.

The police need special, formal training in how to handle cases of sexual assault and harassment. The insensitivity of a cop, counsellor, or prosecution lawyers with a survivor of sexual assault brings us right back to our almost Medieval state of affairs. Most women delay or avoid lodging a complaint with the police for the fear of an insensitive backlash and/or victim blaming.

5. Women cops on patrol.

One woman in every police station is a good start, but not a big one. Put more women cops on patrol, especially at night. Don't limit these patrols to just a few in the busy areas of Delhi.

6. More policemen and women in plain clothes.

Deploy cops in plain clothes to nab sexual attackers. Women should feel confident that men won't get away with it if they harass them in markets and other busy areas. Delhi police should launch more campaigns to urge people to help women instead of watch them being harassed.

7. Strict punishment for no action.

Ensure strict punishment for police personnel who stand by and do nothing or delay action. It is unacceptable for an enforcer of the law to keep quiet in the face of injustice.

8. Functioning CCTV cameras.

Let's do away with the tiresome facade of CCTV cameras which are nothing more than showpieces. Please make sure government resources are used for more useful things like functioning CCTV cameras. The feed from these cameras needs to be monitored in real time, 24x7, in every part of Delhi. Monitoring this huge city is a mammoth task, but it can be broken down to cover most parts. The monitoring agents should have the authority to bypass all bureaucracy and send the nearest patrol car to the spot immediately.

9. Regulate cabs.

Regulate radio cabs and goverment-run taxis all over Delhi. While booking cabs, women must be given priority after 8pm. It goes without saying that the GPS monitoring of these cabs should be absolutely non-negotiable.

10. Massive overhaul of the autorickshaw system.

Delhi needs more autorickshaws on the roads and trained people to drive them. It should be mandatory for autorickshaw drivers to be trained in how to handle attacks on passengers. Make it punishable for an autorickshaw driver on duty to refuse passengers, especially after a certain hour.

11. Teach gender equality in schools.

Gender equality should be a compulsory lesson for children in all schools - private and government. It might help to teach children in school about the consequences of crimes, with a focus on gender-based assault. Teach them that sexual assault will put them in jail, which isn't exactly a vacation. Education is the only way you can ensure a safer future for the women of this city, and in turn a better society on the whole.

12. Quick response to calls of domestic abuse, or violence.

Complaints of domestic abuse and violence cannot be taken lightly and dismissed as trivial disputes. Marital rape isn't a crime in India, unfortunately, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Women in abusive relationships need to be assured that they are safe with the police.

The women of Delhi have waited many, many years to feel safe in their city. We have seen previous governments make the same promises. But statistics show that not much has been delivered.

Will you be the one to change that, Mr CM?