80% city women harassed in public transport: Survey

SOCIAL MENACE From unwanted touching to lewd songs, whistling and being filmed, women say sexual harassment is usual in all modes of public conveyance

LUCKNOW: Over 80% of women using public transport in Lucknow have faced some kind of sexual harassment by male co-passengers. More than 70% have been the target of lewd songs while 66% have been whistled at by men while travelling on city roads. Most victims don’t even want to register their complaints at police stations due to hassles, a sense of shame and the fear of being targeted by the offender. Many wish for a smart complaint system through which they can report incidents online.

All this was revealed at the UP Press Club on Saturday at an event where findings of a recent study were presented. The survey, on sexual victimisation of women on public transport in Lucknow, was conducted by Safe Safar, a Lucknow-based organisation, and the department of security and crime science at the University College London (UCL).

“Over a period of three months, a long-form survey and a specially developed smart phone app called SafetiPin were designed to collect data on multiple facets of sexual harassment, ranging from nature of offences, profile of offenders and sense of fear among women in Lucknow, while using public transport. The respondents were young, educated women who travel daily for work or education,” said Abhishek, programme coordinator, Safe Safar. Respondents reported regularly being victims of touching, sexual remarks and video-filming on Vikrams, buses and rickshaws in Lucknow. A number of respondents said that they were dissatisfied with the strategies adopted by the police to check crime against women and even questioned the cops’ willingness in responding with effectiveness to such complaints.