JOIN USWalk of life... But then is it really?
Girlie chatter spread through the nippy air of December evening as “night walkers” gathered for ‘Claim Your City By Night Walk’ organised by Sathi All For Partnerships (SAFP) in the City recently. With slogans in one hand and candle in another the walk gathered momentum.
Shivani Bhardwaj, programme director, SAFP says, “These walks help a lot. The last time we organised the walk, the government promised to take the required steps to make the City safe for women and since then night vigil has been increased.”
Carla Amat and Dafne Saldana from Spain are here for the second time to support the cause and make the City a safer place for women.
Dafne expresses, “The idea of the walk is interesting. We are here to support the cause because we feel for women who are really fighting for their rights.”
When asked about how safe Spain is for women, both girls mutually agree that Spain is safer for women than Delhi. Carla says, “If women are walking at 2 am in Spain, there is no fear of their safety at all.”
Shreya Talukdar, a volunteer of SAFP feels that these walks do make a difference. She observes, “Every individual cannot go to the government and therefore we play the role of middlemen by perceiving what women want and then taking the concerns to the government.”
Madhavi Karunakaram Guha, a member of Artists for Human Rights, views her group participation as a voice strengthening measure.
Madhavi says, “Walks like these add to the enthusiasm while being a part of the group, gives you strength.
The idea as a whole sparks fire in women. Moreover, as long as there is a follow up, such walks are useful!” Krishna Shah, a government consultant for children and women safety was quietly supporting the event.
When asked about her views towards walks organised in Delhi, she notices, “Some people want to make the world a better place. I chose my profession so that I could break the ice of ignorance.”
As the march progressed, more crowd joined in. Even men were not left behind. Shankar Morwal, halted his bike to take a clear view of the crowd.
When asked about how effective these walks are, Shankar says, “There is no use of creating a scene by these walks because ultimately women have to be strong to face any untoward circumstances.”
His anger towards the silence maintained in the society towards atrocities against women was quite evident as he openly voiced his concerns.