DELHI WOMEN RECLAIM THE STREETS
Challenging the centuriesold fear about women leaving the house after dark, hundreds of women decided to reclaim open spaces in a midnight run in the heart of the Capital
Over 100 women took part in a midnight run organised by Delhi Police at Connaught Place, in a reclamation of open spaces and asserting fearlessness after dark.
Connaught Place, on Sunday, played host to hundreds of women running at midnight. The occasion was a 5km-long midnight run, organised by Delhi Police in association with the NGO United States Foundation.
Called The Fearless Run, it started at 11.30pm and covered the inner circle of Connaught Place. “The run is a symbol of empowerment — an extension of our initiatives to ensure women’s safety in the area,” says Madhur Verma, DCP, New Delhi District. “It was liberating,” says Mahima Chaudhary, a participant. “Initiatives like these instil confidence among girls. If we get the same protection from Police every night, I’m sure crimes against women will decline,” she adds.
“It’s nice to know that a lot of women participated in the run which was meant to reclaim open spaces,” says Commissioner of Police Amulya Patnaik, adding that the figures of rape cases in Delhi involving strangers has gone down from 3.6% in 2016 to 2.72% in 2018.