The world has drastically changed its way of dealing with things. The dynamics of work in various industry domains have altered the course of the methodology of doing business. Girls are progressing rapidly in all spheres of profession where earlier they hardly dared to enrol. This is a sign of progress as compared to the old days. However, there is one concern that has been prevalent in modern days. Are working girls safe in their workplace? There are a lot of incidents happening in various parts of India where not only safety is compromised, but humanity is murdered. India is a land of gods and goddesses, we worship Maa Durga, Maa Saraswati, Maa Laxmi, and Maa Kali. However, with the trend going on we are not sure how safe our girls are be it the workplace, be it outside alone. According to the National Family Health Survey, 8.5 % of women report being victims of sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. According to the NCRB report (National Crime Report Bureau) in 2022 a total of 445256 crime reports against women are registered in India. These are official statistics. So the count of unregistered cases is much more.

In 2018 on average one woman is raped every 15 minutes across the country. There are major disadvantages for the victim in India. Some of that is a result of the judicial system. The golden rule for the Judicial system is unless a convict is proven guilty, he/ she is deemed to be innocent. In the year 2022, the total number of rape cases is reported to be 31000 approximately. This is a grave national issue and few of the incidents create huge national news headlines. Also, the trauma is with the victim. The mentality of Indian society is such that in a way they blame the victim for the consequences. Also, there are instances reported where the victims of rape have faced pressure from the law enforcement body to withdraw the case. Also, the process of trial is very troublesome. Once a trial starts off it may take decades to get the case solved. The number of rape cases in India faces a huge backlog. The number of new cases exceeds the number of existing cases. The victim faces huge trauma from the incident and the pressure of society. The IPC section 376 deals with punishment for rape. IPC Section 376 A deals with punishment for causing death or resulting in a persistent vegetative state of the victim. Section 376 B deals with sexual intercourse by the husband with his wife during separation. Section 376 C deals with sexual intercourse by a person in Authority. Section 376D deals with Gang rape. Section 376 DA deals with gang rape of victims under the age of 16. Section 376 DB deals with punishment for gang rape for women under 12 years.

MEASURES FOR GIRL SAFETY: BASIC OVERVIEW

Awareness of the surroundings should always be there. Women should always check out what is happening around them and have a quick response to any unforeseen event.

• Always know who the neighbor’s around so that in times of emergency women can get a community and support from nearby.
• For any destination shortcuts should always be avoided where the visibility is less.
• Be ready to defend yourself with whatever you have available at hand. Once a lady presumes someone is following her, kindly consider the items available in her bag. It can be a pen, hairspray, or keys.
• Always guard the drinks, once a lady is out in a pub or bar never leave the drink unattended. Someone could slip a drug in it.
• Always confirm the identity of any police officer once you are approaching one.

In certain scenarios, girls have to be stronger than their limit for the sake of safety and survival in critical situations. Criminals never ring a bell before they launch an attack on the target. The urge for sex and hunger for desire compels people to turn into criminals. It is a situation of no going back. Let’s have a quick yet detailed look at the skill set that not only protects girls from unpredictable situations but also builds self-confidence.

MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)

It is a form of combat where e combination of ground and pound as well as strikes are applied. It is a combination of judo, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, and boxing. In this form of combat, the impact of damage on the victim can be huge. This combat makes a girl ready for any hostile situation when the attacker is not just a normal harasser or eve teaser but also a criminal or history-sheeter. This form of combat makes you situation-ready.

KICKBOXING:

In this form of combat punches and kicks are applied, a series of kicks followed by punches that can destroy any attacker who tried to charge you. Short-distance punches are very effective when an attacker is in close proximity.

TEJASWINI (A Kolkata police Initiative)

For any law enforcement agency women's safety is one of the top priorities. This issue has been taken very seriously all across the globe be it is a developed country or a developing country. Kolkata Police strategizes with a motto to eradicate the possibility of the occurrence of crime against women. This program TEJASWINI is a workshop that aims to impart a crash course on self-defense for women of any age. The basic motive is to impart self-confidence among women in times of crisis. Any woman can learn some basic moves of combat which can neutralize an opponent for 5-10 seconds which eventually gives the chance to escape from the spot. Taking a deep dive into it, let’s learn a few of the techniques.

• Technique 1: If an attacker tries to grab the hand of any woman, grip the arm and the wrist twist it on the opposite side, and put pressure on the weak spot or pressure point of the arm. The grip will be loosened. These things are very crucial as things are to be done quickly and fast.
• Technique 2: When an attacker is grabbing the girl by her collar, the technique is to grip the finger of the opponent and twist it in the opposite direction so that pain is exhorted on the opponent. Once huge pain is inserted the attacker loosens the grip giving the opponent a chance to escape.
• Technique 3: When an attacker is trying to grab or hug a lady without her consent a sudden punch or kick on the weak spot of the attacker will instantly disarm the opponent and give the lady a chance to escape.
• Technique 4: A very effective technique to stop an attacker from pinning the victim is grabbing the eyes and nose of the attacker or punching the neck or throat area of the opponent.

All these techniques are subject to better execution and perfection subject to regular practice in real life. Once a day, everyone should practice them. Practice is the pathway to perfection. Judo is the art of defeating an opponent who is bigger and stronger than you. Jiu Jitsu means the gentle way. Once an opponent is trying to grab the girl the best way is to use that man’s power against him. An opponent can be subdued by correctly applying strategy. Just to go in into it in a deep analysis let’s say an opponent is trying to forcefully hug a girl. To pin that man down the 1st thing that is to be done is to neutralize the arms. There is a technique called arm bar, its very common in Jiu Jitsu where the arms of the attacker are locked in between the legs and belly, and pressure is applied on the joint (elbow) in the opposite direction. This move not only immobilizes the opponent but also forces the opponent to tap out and beg for mercy.

According to national-level kabaddi player and star defender Dipali kajale Self-defence is subject to physical and mental awareness of the situation. The application of self-defense moves can be perfected only by constant practice. She is a hard-core follower and practitioner of self-defense and a dedicated sports person who has achieved so much in her game kabaddi as a defender. As a defence player situational awareness and instant reaction is the best defense. As a defender for her team, she has done numerous tackles, locking raiders helplessly struggling in her grips. So, she can relate the same thing applicable to self-defence for girls. Many times it is very common in India, women are considered to be weak. They think they are not able to handle physical stress. As a matter of fact, they lack self-confidence. Working women in India believe that after handling office work and household stuff they do not have spare time to invest in fitness. However, it is a matter of 1-2 hours daily to ensure that self-defense can be practiced.

INCIDENTS THAT SHOOK THE NATION

On 9th August 2024, a trainee lady doctor was brutally raped and murdered in the RG Kar hospital premises. Lack of transparency and cooperation from the hospital management and law enforcement on this matter led to a mass protest by fellow junior and trainee doctors of that hospital which is continuing in many hospitals in West Bengal. The case has been investigated by the CBI. However, the prime accused in the initial investigation was found to be a Civic Volunteer Sanjoy Roy whose Video footage was found in the Medical College CCTV. Also, the principal of RG Kar Sandip Ghosh was suspended from his post, and his medical practice license was cancelled. Currently, he is undergoing investigation and trial under the Court of Justice. The role of the local police station and law enforcement came under direct question regarding this case. The Officer in Charge of the Tala area (near RG KAR Medical College) is suspected of being involved in this conspiracy and is currently suspended and undergoing trial. The victim was a merit holder who was the only ray of hope for her family. Doctors and medical practitioners are part of emergency services and they work 24-36 hours at a stretch in the hospital. This incident happened inside the Hospital premises and the impact of brutality is so severe that humanity is supposed to be ashamed. People from all professions are out on the streets at night conducting rallies, human bridges, and candle marches to carry out protests demanding justice for the victim Doctor. There are many professions where girls have to work late night shifts and safety is a major concern. MNCs, do operate their outsourcing. IT operations in Late night in Hybrid or full Work from Office models. Although the campuses are monitored by CCTV cameras still safety is still something that needs to be 100 percent assured. The parents of the victim's doctor complained about the role of law enforcement authority in how they dealt with the case. They are pressurized in many ways. The procedure was not followed. The strike/ protest is still ongoing and the CM of West Bengal and the Protestors met to reach a consensus.

A nurse in Uttarakhand who was missing since July 30 had her body recovered in Dibdiba village, she was raped, and killed while returning from work. This incident happened on 30 July 2024, the accused was arrested from Rajasthan. The victim was a nurse in a private hospital. Such incidents pose a real question to society, do we live in a civilized world?

ALARMING FACTS

There are major red flags that keep shooting up in the sky where alarming whistle-blowing happens. Women who work in their respective workplaces have to face several SAFETY ISSUES that have been HISTORICALLY observed.

1. Sexual Harassment: 

The sexual harassment of women in the workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal Act 2013 aims to protect women from sexual harassment and at the same time compensation to the victim.

2. Domestic Violence: 

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 aims to protect women from violence and prevent it so that repeat occurrence does not happen.

3. Pregnancy Discrimination: 

The health and safety of pregnant women cannot be compromised under any situation and employers must take care of it.

4. Gender Equality: 

Women’s occupational safety is highly dependent on gender equality. Even today in many works’ places gender equality is missing. Women are objectified and assumed to be less productive as compared to men.

A major form of harassment that is prevalent in many parts of India is Street harassment. In 2021 there was a survey conducted in around 140 Indian cities, as per founding’s 56% of women have faced harassment in public transport. According to a survey, a woman is harassed every 12 minutes in India. The matter of street harassment is the root cause of all evils that instil conference in potential repeat offenders. Now to go into a DEEPER UNDERSTANDING on the impact of street harassment it takes into account.

• Unsolicited sexual or offensive comments.
• Unwanted whistling.
• So-called catcalling.
• Indecent exposure.
• Unwanted touching.

There was a survey conducted by the UN (United Nations) in the UK in January 2021. It was found that 71% of women of all ages had faced sexual harassment in public places. From February to March 2022 the Opinion and Lifestyle Survey conducted a survey and the findings came out as quite alarming and shocking. 82 percent of women and 42% of men feel fair or at few instances very insecure or unsafe walking alone after dark in open spaces. 50 % of all women feel very insecure, and less protected in a quiet close street near their own home. More than 27 % of women and nearly 16% of men have faced at least one form of harassment. Women aged between the age group of 16 to 34 felt most unsafe while using public transport during darkness. The impact of street harassment is detrimental for the entire society and in a way, it is a national issue.

If we look at the statistics of India a survey was conducted in New Delhi over 80 percent of women faced sexual harassment however as a matter of fact only 1 % reported it. In Chennai, more than 50 percent of women faced sexual harassment however only 6 percent notified the police. 63% of women in Pune faced sexual harassment but only 12 percent reported it to the police. In Mumbai, 75 % of railway commuters are unaware there is a helpline number for women. In the year 2021, Haryana had a maximum crime rate of 7.7 percent for sexual harassment. This report is according to the National Crime Record Bureau. Odisha has a rate of 6.7 percent and Kerala has 5.9 percent. There are various reasons why street harassment is not reported properly.

• Lack Of Awareness.
• A prevalent perception is that street harassment is not a serious crime.
• Socio-Cultural factors.
• Trust issues in the redressal system.
• The hassles in reporting.
• The prevalent fear is that victims will be blamed.

In a way, society is responsible for this critical situation which has led us to a bridge of massive unrest. There are multiple instances where girls who are working late at night are objectified and judgment of perception is made on them as if girls are responsible for their own repercussions and actions. Whenever a girl is wearing any dress of her own choice she is objectified by common people. When girls work late till night society in a way questions their choice of working in those hours. In many middle-class families’ girls are taught to avoid and ignore evil. They are taught to adjust to new situations. It is a mentality which is the root cause of all evils. Not every man is a rapist, but the mentality to demean a girl gives birth to something we call rape culture. Safety measures need to be implemented by the family itself. If a boy is taught to respect women from an early age and this gets multiplied throughout societies this issue will slowly get diminished.

Many times this has happened in front of us goons who try to attack and outrage the modesty of a woman and splatter her respect in public places. However, surrounding people do not barge in as they think it is not their problem. Public silence is a major cause of growing crime against women. A general mentality among people is that unless the problem is personal, we do not dare to get involved in it to avoid unnecessary Hussle. There is no point in doing candlelight march protests unless the root cause is identified. Even today elements of society are present where girls are objectified and judgments are passed on every action they do. If a guy says he has an affair with more than 3-4 girls he is termed as a dude, a stud, a hero. However, if the same comment is made by a girl, society calls her with disgraceful remarks. Society speaks of gender equality but in reality, it is the same society that degrades women if they achieve exceptional achievement. In the Indian context, we have so many superheroes to date but not a single girl superhero. We do symbolize goddess Durga as the epitome of power but in the real WORLD, WE DO NOT ACCEPT A REAL LIFE MAA DURGA. Outspoken, straightforward ladies are often not liked by society. All this is a product of the male ego which is prevalent in society and it is a primitive mindset that tells women that they deserve their place in household work and in the kitchen only. Crime against women will never be controlled unless we control the demon within us. We have to remember that society is a part of humanity and human beings consist of men as well as women. We need to respect, protect, and nurture our girls. If we can do that we will ensure the safety of our ladies not only in the workplace but in any place be it a pub, be it an isolated place, be it an office. The motive should never be to devise a strategy to create a safer world for women, the real issue is we should raise our boys in a way that girls should feel safe with any man outside the same way she feels safe at her home with her father, brother, or husband.

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References:

• https://www.thehindu.com
• https://www.thequint.com
• Inputs taken from Maharashtra kabaddi team star defender Dipali Kajale. Insta id : dipali_kajale_07