Nobel Laureate, Social Activist And Senior Lawyer Brainstorm On Women's Safety At JLF

Abhijit Banerjee, Aruna Roy and Vrinda Grover vouched for creating safer and equitable places for women who often face sexual harassment in public and workplaces.

Jaipur: At the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) on Saturday evening, Nobel laureate and noted economist Abhijit Banerjee attended a panel discussion with social rights activist Aruna Roy and senior lawyer Vrinda Grover on the sexual harassment of women in public places where the panellists agreed on the necessity of creating more safer and equitable places for women. Acknowledging gender violence as a serious issue in Indian society, they vouched for effective solutions.

During the discussion, a survey titled 'Aparajita — Rise with Her' on sexual harassment by the Aparajita Foundation, an NGO, was presented, highlighting the situation of women in public places in Jaipur and Delhi.

The survey, conducted on 1,200 women between 18 and 45 years, revealed that the feeling of insecurity in public places has alarmingly risen among women.

Statistics for Jaipur:

• 78 per cent of women were victims of molestation and inappropriate behaviour in public places.
• 60 per cent of women felt unsafe in buses, metro and other public transport.
• 42 per cent of women faced mental harassment and an uncomfortable atmosphere at the workplace.
• 65 per cent of women hesitate to complain about such incidents because they do not expect appropriate action.

Statistics for Delhi:

• 84 per cent of women faced indecent comments on streets, markets and public places.
• 55 per cent of women faced sexual harassment from male colleagues or senior officers.
• 48 per cent of women did not get any concrete action despite complaining.
• 70 per cent of women feel uncomfortable going out late at night.

Banerjee said sexual harassment and violence against women is a serious social problem not only in India but all over the world. To prevent crimes against women, strict laws and social awareness are equally important. He emphasised that gender equality in India is possible only when women feel safe. For that to happen, police, social organisations and government institutions will have to play a proactive role in this direction, he added.

Highlighting the problem, Roy said, "There is a need to work seriously on the safety of women in our society. Especially the police and judicial system have to be made accountable. Reporting cases of harassment of women in rural areas is even more difficult than in urban areas. There is a need to make government schemes and legal processes more effective. People in our society, especially men, need to be educated."

"There are many laws against sexual harassment in India, but their implementation is very weak. The process of getting justice for the victims is so long and complicated that they often avoid complaining. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH) should be implemented strictly at workplaces," Grover said.

Industrialist Pramod Bhasin who was also on the dais said the purpose of this debate was not only to understand the depth of the problem but also to take steps towards real change through policy interventions, legal reforms and social awareness campaigns.