Self-defence training for BMTC women employees

The BMTC will begin gender sensitisation training for all staffers and self-defence training for its women employees to counter sexual harassment.

In a release, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) said it seeks to make a meaningful intervention to address the problem of sexual harassment and gender-based violence.

“There are instances where women staff of BMTC who work as conductors and security personnel are also at the receiving end of such unacceptable behaviour from commuters as well as from their male colleagues,” it said.

The BMTC will provide intensive practical training in karate, judo, martial arts while organising gender sensitisation, public speaking self-assertiveness, legal knowledge and counselling skills.

A practicals-oriented 42-hour course, to be delivered in 120 sessions over a period of 21 days, is set to begin soon.

The sessions will be based on “typical threatening scenarios” that they may encounter in everyday life and easy techniques to extricate themselves out of such situations with simple defensive and offensive moves.

The corporation will bring experts from various fields for the job.