Keeping in mind safety of women, the Railways can make use of artificial intelligence to allocate seats.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
Recently, I travelled from the Old Delhi railway station to Dehradun in a two-tier, air-conditioned train compartment. I had an upper berth, while the lower berth was occupied by a man. Around 4 a.m., abruptly woken up, I found him standing barely an inch away from me, his face alarmingly close to mine. It was a deeply unsettling experience. He must have been staring at me for some time, taking advantage of the fact that the other passengers had alighted already and the curtains were drawn. The thought of what he was doing and what he could have done, is something I prefer not to dwell on.
For the rest of the journey till 8 a.m., I remained awake and alert, thoughts racing through my mind. There was, however, a profound sense of relief that my daughter was not with me.
Women faces danger everywhere at every hour and in every mode of transport. As is the practice of many working professionals who have spouses in other cities, I travel from Delhi to Dehradun to be with my family on long weekends. After that scare I had on the train, I have put additional filters on my travel options — no overnight journey and travel by bus instead of train. Unlike the IRCTC train-booking service, bus-booking platforms offer a “booking for women” feature. This option displays the seats already booked by women passengers, allowing users to choose their seats accordingly. However, it does not show the number of women passengers who will remain on the bus after each stop. So you may find yourself as the only woman left by the end of your journey.
Through my extensive travels, I have come to understand that the safest option is to travel during daytime by non-sleeper buses or trains. But that will limit my travel options and I will even have to spend heavily on ‘Tatkal’ train tickets.
Social stigma
This discussion inevitably leads to a question that many working women face: why travel if there are so many risks and uncertainties? Why not stay at home or find a decent-paying job nearby?
This mindset stems from the social stigma surrounding working women. It is no surprise that a significant portion of the women labour force consists of those from the poorer sections of society for which employment is a necessity rather than a choice. Another remark is that if a woman chooses to work, she must be prepared to face assault. This, in fact, is a tactic to scare women into remaining at home. This systematic pattern is used as “second-victimisation” after every such incident. It goes like, “Was she alone? Why she was alone? What time of the day? What she was wearing? Why she was not careful? Why did her family allow her to go like this?”
So, in the end, the offence is justified, society feels little less guilty, and the future victims are made “wiser, more disciplined, and more dependent”. That’s how most of us women feel in public spaces. The purpose of sharing this experience is to highlight that despite having equal opportunities, there is still inequality at every level. The lack of preventive measures, laws without teeth, and a sluggish justice system are not curbing this menace, but encouraging crime against women.
The latest NCRB report shows that of the total rape cases (excluding gang rape and rape with murder) reported in 2022, chargesheet was submitted in about 84%, and the police disposed of about 23% on abatement during investigation, lack of sufficient evidence despite being a true case and other factors. Of the 84%, conviction happened only in 27%. The data show only the reported cases; it does not reflect actual incidence.
I wonder if there is a hidden agenda in all this — a ploy to solve the problem of unemployment by scaring women, who form half of the workforce, into giving up their opportunities. More than bringing in new laws, it is required to make the existing laws accessible and implement preventive measures.
Keeping in mind the safety of women, the Railways can make use of artificial intelligence to allocate seats, implement a system for rating public services based on women’s safety, ensure follow-up by authorities and help take corrective measures. Additionally, the police, courts, and media need to be more sensitive to, and supportive of, women victims.
This shift is crucial to ensure justice and drive societal change. Any woman, whether working or not working, during daytime or at night, indoors or outdoors, has the right to life and dignity. This is the only lens one needs to apply while viewing any incident.
If one wants to do a reality check on safety of women, check the highways. How many women one come across driving or travelling solo or unescorted? Highways are a barometer of safety standards of any country. Concern over safety should not limit the movement of women.
neovartika@yahoo.com
Published – October 27, 2024 02:38 am IST