- In Salt Lake Sector V, Kolkata, Bidhannagar Police plans to establish a women's safety group
- The goal is to address women's safety concerns, particularly in the center of business and technology
- The initiative aims to develop a cooperative approach to enhance safety for women in the workforce
Bidhannagar Police is creating a special women's safety unit in Salt Lake Sector V to address increasing safety issues for women professionals. The unit will be manned by women working in IT and BPO sectors as well as police officers, targeting major issues such as street harassment, sexual misconduct in workplaces, and absence of safe late-night travel options.
On Tuesday, the Electronic Complex Police Station met with facility managers of office buildings to deliberate over safety measures, particularly women-related safety measures. "We are trying to develop a platform where women employees can report significant security issues in Sector V directly. This will help resolve grievances faster and promote free discussion on safety issues," said Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Mukesh Kumar.
The decision follows a rash of recent attacks in Sector V. At the weekend, a young woman and her male friend were said to have been attacked outside a pub after an argument over parking. Last week, a 21-year-old woman who works for a private company complained of recurrent sexual harassment, physical attack, and threats made by a male co-worker. In June, a computer worker filed a complaint of cyber stalking and harassment. In May, a corporate outing went awry when female employees from a media company were reportedly molested at a pub.
Most of the women working night shifts in the region complain of miscreants harassing them while they step out for some time during breaks outside the office. "We hear lewd remarks frequently and some even attempt to touch women on roads. The lanes and bylanes need better policing immediately," a 37-year-old woman working at a multinational consulting firm complained.
As part of the initiative, every company that is taking part will have a female liaison officer who will sit down with representatives from the police on a monthly basis to address safety issues like dark spots and harassment around transit points. The police are also set to intensify night deployment of women officers and plain-clothes squads and are proposing installing GPS-enabled smart safety alarms.
