Rise in reporting of Women Crime since 2014 says Haus Khaz Police
Women have high expectations from the Union government regarding safety. They hope the Centre will continue the work of the previous term in its new term as well and give a meaningful conclusion to the initiatives taken.
Veena, 28, said, “Women safety has been a concern for all governments since Independence but it is only in the last few years that it’s getting such attention. Delhi Police’s Himmat app has made me feel safe. I can call the police at my location with just a click in case I am in danger.” Himmat is a women safety mobile application of Delhi Police.
Since 2014, the Union government has taken various initiatives for women’s safety. The Women and Child Development Ministry announced one-stop centres under the Nirbhaya Fund to ensure that no crime against women, including rape, goes unreported. It is aimed at providing holistic assistance to victims of crimes like rape, harassment, domestic violence, molestation, etc.
Another initiative in the direction is the introduction of the universal women’s helpline service number (181) in 2015. Steps have also been taken to install CCTV cameras in trains for the safety of women passengers traveling alone. Not just this, the Ministry of Home Affairs has set up a new women safety division in May 2018, aimed at instilling greater sense of security in women that seeks to work on subjects like prison reform, anti-human trafficking, etc.
The attitude of law enforcement agencies have also seen an improvement.
“We try to do every possible thing when it comes to women safety. We enable women to file complaints on several platforms including on the web along with phone-based applications for instant security alerts. Such measures are funded by the Centre,” said Constable Sandeep, posted at the Hauz Khas Police Station. He added, “A separate women desk is made for women who come to file complaints, so that they don’t hesitate to talk about their issues.”
In addition to this, the police also visits girls colleges for self-defence training.
“First, our women staff learn self-defence themselves, and then they teach girls in colleges and schools. Some of the institutions in which we have had sessions are Gargi College, Kamla Nehru College, Laxmi Public School, and General Raj School. We also ask girls to download Himmat app for their safety, ’’ said Head Constable Mahendra at Haus Khaz Police Station.
He added, “We have seen a huge increase in the percentage of women reporting crimes in recent years. It’s now more than 22% whereas it was just 5% in 2014. They have now started taking a stand for themselves which didn’t happen earlier”.