Gender: About 29 percent of Indian women have faced molestation or sexual advances in public places. Of these, over 75 percent did not even file a police complaint, according to the findings of a survey conducted by LocalCircles, a community social media platform. Trains, stations, public gatherings, and streets are top locations where Indian women have faced molestation or sexual advances.
The survey focussed on the vulnerability of women in public places in India, the effectiveness of the complaint registration system, and the process of interfacing with the police. It also sought to understand what actions survivors took to book perpetrators.
Of those who faced molestation or sexual advances in public places, only 23 percent filed a police complaint or First Information Report (FIR), while 15 percent said that despite their efforts to file a complaint, the police did not register it and take any action.And about three percent said that while the police did not register an FIR or complaint, they beat up or harassed the culprits.
The absence of fast-track courts, inadequate investigation, lack of effective vigilance, police inability, and patriarchal mindset of most Indian families, are among the reasons that Indian women have remained unsafe, said the survey.
A plausible solution, the survey said, includes introducing the concept of mutual consent and gender equality early in the school curriculum. Also required is an effective monitoring system, such as CCTVs in public places especially at train stations and bus stands, and an urgent need to sensitise police forces at the ground level.
Read this article on why we need a gender-sensitive public transport system.