ActionAid launches the Safe Cities for Women

campaign
ActionAid, a global organization that works to promote human rights,
launched the Safe Cities for Women campaign on August 8th during
FNRUs (the National Forum for Urban Reform) National Conference in Rio
de Janeiro.
The campaign was organized by women from various locations and
communities in the states of Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio de
Janeiro and So Paulo, who were tired of living in places where the
masculine is considered as a universal guiding principle and where public
policies are not directed at womens issues.
The logic of capital has long understood the importance of women for its
functioning. Women, as producers of its most valuable asset, labor, have
been treated as those who need protection. Hence, in this sense, they
have been regarded as fragile and incapable, second class citizens[M2]
who, therefore, should stay at home. Thus, public spaces were considered
in light of established social roles: women were designated to the
domestic or the reproductive; men were designated to the public or the
productive. Women suffer the consequences of this every day: verbal and
physical harassment, an educational system that reproduces gender roles
and limits womens behavior, dark streets, police authorities who are
poorly instructed to deal with cases of aggression, etc.
Throughout the years, women have conquered more space in society and
to a certain extent, cities have followed this progress. However, according
to research conducted by ActionAid, the manner in which authorities
frequently deal with issues that affect womens security in cities today is
based on a context of naturalizing violence and harassment. This is due to

the idea that they believe things are as they are and that combating
such problems should primarily be done through preventive measures,
which suggest that women should not fully enjoy the city. Some of the
recommendations for women include not leaving the house after a certain
time of the day, going out in groups and not walking by determined areas.
As a result, it is still necessary to deepen the discussion and think about
measures that handle the issue without limiting womens mobility.
Violence and harassment against women should be denaturalized. Such
issues need to be understood as a structural matter. This is what the
campaign offers society: it proposes changes that seek to solve the
problems and simultaneously guarantee women full access to cities.
In order to do so, ActionAid spent two years listening to women from
different locations in Brazil with regard to the limitations on the right to
the city they suffer on a daily basis. Part of this listening process was
creating a Baseline, which systematized the perception of these women
regarding the relation between their vulnerability to violence in public
spaces and the inefficiency of public services offered in the cities.
Among the accounts, there is the declaration made by Neusa Helena, or
Neusinha, who lives in Jardim Clmax in So Paulo and talked about the
precariousness of policing: There are moments when we are afraid of
asking the police for help because of the stories we have heard, () of
asking for help and being treated with disdain, with disrespect. I think
there should be more policing, yes, but with a different police than that
which we see today, a police [force] that has a different training, another
way of thinking. While this is a serious problem, the case at hand is
much more common than one imagines. The research resulted in a Public
Letter, called Womens Political Letter. Here ActionAid pointed out the
problem and presented a solution, demanding greater efforts from public

service providers with regard to basic services such as transportation,

street lighting, policing, housing and education. A copy of the letter was
delivered to Minister Gilberto Carvalho, Chief Minister of the General
Secretariat of the Presidency of Brazil, at the end of the meeting on
August 8th.

Deal with Sexual Harassment

1. What do I do when I get sexually harassed on the road?

It is not possible to have one single strategy to address this. It is

important to make a judgment on the spot depending on the context. But
there are a few principles that one must keep in mind:
Learn to say "NO" loudly and clearly. Prepare a stock sentence (like "Stop
staring at me) and practice saying it to you until it becomes a reflex. If
you are harassed, repeat it again and again the "broken
record"technique is very effective.
Learn to communicate confidence in yourself. Look straight at people who
accost you and speak clearly and calmly in response. Show others that
you are aware of your rights and where you are.
2. What if there is more than one person or harassment is by a group?

As mentioned earlier, your strategy must depend on the situation. Thus if

it is dark or there are no other people around, it might make best sense
to get away as fast as possible. But if there is a crowd or a police van
nearby, you might want to complain loudly.
3. What should I do when people around do not support, say, in a bus or on
the road?

Calling out loudly for help is itself a deterrent to most harassers. Dont be
afraid to ask for help. Often people don't want to get involved because
they are not sure if you need help. Calling the Police on 100 or 1091 has
proven useful in many cases as well.
4. What can I do when I see someone else getting sexually harassed?

Speak up. It is important for more people to raise their voice in public
against sexual harassment. If the public gets aware and involved, then
this will certainly act as a deterrent. Many men harass because they
know they can "get away with it". It is important to change this.
5. Is there any law against sexual harassment?

Yes, there are laws against sexual harassment. For Legal Assitance and
Information: Under the Indian Penal Code

Section 294: Obscene acts and songs, to the annoyance of others

like :
1.
2.

Does any obscene act in any public place or

Sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words in or near
any public place.

Punishment: Imprisonment for a term up to 3 months or fine, or both.

(Cognizable, bailable and triable offense)
Section 352: Assault or strain on women.Punishment: Two years imprisonment, or
fine, or both.(Cognizable and bailable offense)

Section 354 (A), which says A man committing any of the following acts
1.

physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit

sexual overtures; or
2.
a demand or request for sexual favours;or
3.

showing pornography against the will of a woman; or

4.

making sexually coloured remarks

shall be guilty of the offence of sexual harassment. Any man committing
the offence under clause

1,2,3 will be rigorously punished which may extend to three years

and /or fine.
4, will be rigorously punished which may extend to one year and /or
fine.

Section 354 (B): Any man who assualts or uses criminal force to any

women or abets such act with the intention of disrobing or compelling

her to be naked, shall be punished with imprisonment of either not less
than three years, extended to seven years and /or be fined.
Section 354 (C) : Any man who watches, or captures the image of
a women engaging in an private act in circumstances where she
would usually have the exception of not being observed either by the
perpetrator or by any persib at the behest of the perpetrator or
disseminates such image shall be punished not less than one year to
three years and can extend to seven years and /or fine.
Section 354 (D) : Any man who -

1.

follows a women and contacts, or attempts to contact such women

to foster personal interaction repeatedly despite a clear indication of
disinterest by such women; or
2. monitors the use by a woman of the internet, email or any other
form of electronic communication.
commits stalking. Thus will be punished for not less than three years (for
first conviction) to maximum of five years (repeat offender) and fine.
Section 375 & 376: A man is said to commit 'rape' if he

penetrates his penis, any object or a part of the body; to any

extent, into the vagina, mouth, urethra or anus of a woman or makes
her to do so with him or any other person or
manipulates any part of the body of a woman so as to cause
penetration

forces a woman apply her mouth to any part of his bosy (as defined)

against her will, without consent or with her consent which is obtained in fear of
death or hurt, or with her consent when she believes the man to be her husband or/and
she is lawfully married to him, or with her consent by reason of unsoundness of mind,
intoxication, where women is unable to understand the nature and consequences of
consent given, or with or without consent, when she is under eighteen years of age
or when she is unable to communicate consent. Imprisonment for not less than seven
years to be entended to life and / or fine.

Section 509: which punishes the intent to insult the modesty of any woman by
use of words, sounds, gestures, or the exhibition of any object in such a way as
to intrude upon the privacy of a woman.
6. How is an incident of sexual harassment proved? On what basis is a case
filed?

It is indeed very difficult to prove an incident of sexual harassment,

especially if it is visual harassment. But one must learn to recognize
harassment. Anything that makes you feel ashamed, humiliated or
frightened is harassment. If you feel harassed, you have the right to
protest. You may choose to deal with it at the incident or you may choose
to approach the police.

Lodge a complaint or FIR

Please dont hesitate to lodge a complaint or First Information Report (FIR)
with police. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2013 and Sexual
Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and
Redressal) Act 2013 recognises all forms of sexual harassment as a crime
and you can file your FIR using the different sections (visit our page Deal
with Sexual Harassment for more details). In case you want support,
approach any NGO working on women's rights to assist you in lodging
complaint.
Jagori Helpline 26692700 / 8800996640 , helpline@jagori.org
7. How does one involve men in the process of sensitization?

All men are not harassers; there are men who speak against harassment.
One could begin with families, friends and then move onto schools,
colleges, men in public spaces etc. It is important to encourage men to
talk about these issues, to challenge notions of certain type of
masculinity.
As a part of the Safe Delhi Campaign, JAGORI is doing workshops on this
issue with college students, both men and women. Men taking actions
against Violence against women can also join MASVAW orMust Bol
In case you want us to conduct such a session in your college or community please
write to us at safedelhi@jagori.org.

Women's Safety Audit

A Women's Safety Audit (WSA) is a participatory tool that is used for
collecting and assessing information about perceptions of safety in public
spaces. It is a process that brings people together to walk through a
physical environment, evaluate how safe it feels, and identify ways to
make it safer. This methodology, based on the premise that the users of a
space are experts in understanding the space, was developed in Toronto,
Canada (1989), by METRAC and has been adapted and used in over 40
cities around the world,
What does a safety audit involve?
A safety audit consists of a group of women walking in public spaces of
their neighborhood (a street, a public square, a park, etc.) to identify the
physical and social characteristics that make these places safe or unsafe.
To conduct such audits it is important to choose routes that are taken by
women every day to drop their children to school or the health centre, or
a street or an avenue where people come to catch public transport to go
to work.
This working method allows us to look at our neighborhood in a way that
is different from our everyday perspective. It allows us to become
acquainted (or reacquainted) with the places we live and move around in
everyday, but from a different position and perspective.
The identification of the problems allows us to make very specific
proposals to the decision-makers to improve the safety of our streets and
that of the public spaces in the neighborhood. It is advisable to conduct
safety audits close to dusk, allowing you to begin the journey during the
daylight; wait for dusk; and then return along the same route in order to
see how the neighborhood, streets and public spaces change at night. It is
also important that the following people be invited to take part in the
safety audits: a public official, so he/she may explore the neighborhood
and understand its needs through the eyes of the community. a
community leader, so he/she may sense the insecurity experienced by
women, and support actions to prevent violence against them.

Womens Safety Audits are crucial to assessing the safety and

accessibility of a city and its public spaces for women and other
vulnerable groups. The safety walks are conducted before and after dark
to see how public spaces are transformed at night. Essentially
participatory in character, the audits identify the spaces that are unsafe
for the vulnerable groups, as well as the factors causing the lack of safety
or the exclusion of these groups
The factors that need to be considered while conducting the safety walks:
Physical characteristics: Lighting, signage, visibility, isolation,
escape routes, maintenance
Social organizations & Policing: Assess ongoing community
processes and actions to see whether they play a role in making
women feel safer

Usage of spaces: Who are the users of the area; are there
vendors, shops. Are there people of all ages and gender?

Jagori has conducted over 40 safety audits in Delhi with many partner
organisations. To know more write to safedelhi@jagori.org
To undertake a safety audit trainingor to take part in one, write
to safedelhi@jagori.org
To read more click women safety audit
B-114, Shivalik, New Delhi-110017, INDIA

Safer Cities free from violence against women

and girls initiative
In the year 2009, Jagori in partnership with UN Women and Department of
Women and Child Development launched the Safe City Free of Violence
against Women and Girls Initiative. The goal of the initiative is: Cities
where women and girls are able to move around freely without the fear of
harassment and violence at all times and enjoys what the city has to
offer.

As part of the first phase, a baseline study was undertaken of more than
5000 residents (men and women) in the NCT region. This survey provided
exhaustive information related to typologies of harassment, vulnerability
of women, ways of dealing harassment etc. The negotiations that a
woman undertakes in her day to day life were reflected in this study. It is
on the basis of this, a Strategic Framework for Safer and Violence Free
City for Women and Girls was also designed.
Click here to read the Baseline Survey 2010 report
Click here to read the Strategic Framework
As part of the safer cities Initiative, Sakhi, Kerala joined hands with Jagori
to start safe cities campaign in Trivandrum and Kozhikode cities. The
research was conducted and a strategic framework for the two cities was
drafted. The research findings and then advocacy, led a series of short
term changes within Kerala. Initially, the State transport Department
collaborated with Sakhi and a circular was passed on safe travel for
women in KSRTC buses and compulsion of wearmin name tags by the

staff. The Kerala Police Act was being reviewed that time and
recommendations were incorporated. Many other women's groups like
Anweshi Resource Centre, SEWA, Kudumbashree and others joined with
initiative.
Click here to read the Kerala research study

Jagori joins the UN Women Safe Cities Global Programme (2011-15)

The intensive work of the first phase in Delhi and Kerala now is a part of
the UN Women Global Programme being implemented in five different
cities, Cairo, New Delhi, Kigali, Port Moresby and Quito.
The 2011 2015 UN Women Safe Cities Global Programme is a unique
initiative that aims to develop models that serve to reduce and prevent
sexual violence against women and girls in public spaces. These models
can be adapted to fit each local context by local authorities and decisionmakers, including womens grassroots organizations, community groups
and other leading national and international networks. Focusing on slum
areas and impoverished neighbourhoods, the collective efforts of Safe
Cities partners are meant to empower women and their communities in
the five pilot cities Click here to read more
The second phase of the programme in Delhi builds on the existing
partnership of Jagori, Government of Delhi and UN Women and would
focus of city wide advocacy for gender sensitivity and mainstreaming and
focused work in municipal wards of south Delhi, Badarpur, Haus Khas,
Malviya Nagar, Mehrauli and Molarband. In Kerala, the work has
interestingly been initiated in four cities, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode,
Thrissur and Ernakulum.
In Delhi, in the last one year, some key activities have been completed. To
start with multiple implementation design planning workshops were
conducted with diverse partners of the programme. Namely, the March
Consultation under the leadership of the Chief Secretary of Delhi and
Meeting of the Advisory Group of the prograame gave the leadership,
views and vision to finalise the Design draft. Post the design document
being accepted by a key government departments like the Education,
Public Works, Transport, Women and Child Development, Police, Urban

Planning, Mission Convergence, Delhi Women's Commission, etc and

several women's and citizen rights groups and collectives, the activities
have begun.
In partnership with Casp Plan Delhi Unit, Satark Nagrik Sangathan and
TARA, Jagori has initiated strengthening community collectives of largely
women and youth in the five aforementioned municipal ward of Delhi. The
groups have also conducted safety audits in their neighbourhood, to
identify gender gaps in infrastructure and essential services. The findings
are being collated to be share with the respective authorities for
immediate action plan.