Pepper spray allowed. What else?

Women welcome decision to let them carry self-defence cans on the Metro, and list more that can be done to ensure their safety

Earlier this week, Namma Metro announced it would allow women to carry pepper spray cans on its trains. The Hyderabad Metro followed suit.

Earlier, security staff had confiscated the cans on the grounds that they are inflammable. Some commuters had expressed their ire on Twitter.

Tara Krishnaswamy, co-founder of Citizens for Bengaluru, says the concession is a welcome step. “The city’s streets and public transport are not best equipped for the ease and safety of women. At night, when the roads are ill-lit and there aren’t many passers-by, women have few choices when it comes to ensuring their safety, “ she says.

Tara says it was foolish of officials to confiscate pepper spray cans earlier. “In an age when men are carrying acid and throwing it on women’s faces, and you have no way of policing it, taking away a pepper spray whose main purpose is it prevent crime is not done,” she adds.

Supriya Nair, journalist, says gender segregation or learning self-defence are reactive measures. “If they save anyone’s life or prevent a crime, great. But they are not a substitute for social equality and they don’t contribute to the long-term goal which is expanding women’s freedoms,” she says.

Look at it this way...

American comedian Sarah Silverman’s rape prevention tips for men has been around since 2011. The list is being retweeted again, in the wake of many recent rapes.

Here are some of her suggestions for men:

- Don’t put drugs in women’s drinks.

- If you are in an elevator and a woman gets in, don’t rape her.

- When you encounter a woman who is asleep, the safest course of action is not to rape her’.

- Carry a rape whistle. If you find you are about to rape someone, blow the whistle until someone comes to stop you.

- Don’t forget, honesty is the best policy. When asking a woman out on a date, don’t pretend that you are interested in her as a person; tell her straight up that you expect to be raping her later. If you don’t communicate your intentions, the woman may take it as a sign that you do not plan to rape her.

Safety expert recommendations: what women can Carry when they step out

We shouldn’t have to list these out but desperate times call for desperate measures. Carry some or all of these with you in your handbag at all times, within easy reach.

Pepper spray
It even comes in the form of keychains and wristbands now.

A loud whistle
There is something called as rape whistle but even a normal one will buy you the time you need.

Knife or nail cutter with a knife
It can be used for self-defense.

Apart from this, install the Suraksha police app on your phone. This Bengaluru police app allows users to press a panic button and call a police vehicle. Police say help will arrive in just nine minutes.

If you are out alone, don’t listen to music on your headphones. Notice your surroundings and be aware of people and vehicles. And invest in good self-defense classes; there are many in the city now.

“These are short term measures of course. The state should invest in sex education from the school level so that information is effectively disseminated,” adds banker Reshmi MK. Freelancer Shruthi Gowda agrees and calls for harsher and quick punishment for offenders.

What more needs to be done

Activist Tara lists out some measures to ensure the city is a safer place for women at night.

Well-lit streets: All corners of the city should have adequate street lights.

Emergency buttons
If these are installed on public transport, they help, and not just in case of an assault. “Not just women but others might also have a medical emergency, like a heart attack,” says Tara.

Emergency helpline for women
It can’t be 100, where you have to wait to get to the department concerned. There has to be an emergency team that guarantees help within five to eight minutes. This will ensure that an impending crime can be prevented. If a crime has already taken place, the victim gets medical assistance immediately.

Fill open positions
The patrol police is heavily short-staffed. About 30 per cent vacancies are vacant, for which the budget is also available.

More women in the force
Only about five per cent in the Karnataka police force are women, whereas the law mandates 33 per cent. So the police department is breaking the law by not hiring more women. All women who have faced varying degrees of crime know that you are much more likely to seek help and make a complaint if you see a woman constable on the road.