Safety of women still a concern

Ficci Ladies celebrate International Women’s Month by hosting ‘Women 2020 - Inspiring Change’

Prominent personalities including Sangita Reddy, chairperson, Ficci – AP Chapter and executive director of Apollo Hospitals, Kanthi Rana Tata, DCP, Cyberabad and Vishweshwar Reddy, politician, deliberated a panel discussion to brainstorm the decisions and thought process needed in the city to help shape the future of women tomorrow.

The panel discussion was part of an interactive session -- ‘Women 2020 - Inspiring Change’, on Tuesday at the Tech Mahindra Auditorium, Hitec City. It was organised by the Ficci Ladies Organisation, with the support of Apollo Hospitals and Tech Mahindra to celebrate the International Women’s Month.

A S Murthy, CTO, Tech Mahindra, opening the panel discussion said Tech Mahendra had been emphasising on gender diversity and that 29 per cent of its employees were women. He, however, mentioned the cause of concern was not being able to sustain that percentage at the top of the ladder.

Vishweshwar Reddy pointed out the disgrace of Hyderabad being listed amongst the cities with high crime rate against women. He said the priority of any government was to ensure basic amenities for the population -- good governance, safety and security of people, especially women. Vishweshwar added that once amenities were provided to women, it would automatically attract talented human resource, investments and companies towards the city.

Kanthi Rana Tata pointed out the various measures Cyberabad Police were initiating to ensure safety and security of women. He said the APSRTC had increased the number of shuttles by 300 from Cyberabad and was ensuring a bus service every 10 minutes from the area.

“From May 1, autos and cabs would have a unique ID and would be under surveillance. These vehicles can be identified with their ‘My Vehicle is safe’ sticker. The IT corridor has nine check posts which are manned 24x7 and in case of crisis, the area can be sealed. Some 150 CC cameras with night vision are being installed in the area for electronic surveillance. Currently there are 47 cameras without night vision. Police personnel working in IT corridor are being trained in etiquette and language skills to meet the special needs of this area. The area has dedicated police personnel comprising a lady inspector, inspector and 70 personnel,” explained Kanthi Rana. He directed women who didn’t want to visit a police station to send a SMS or email so that the cops could come and seek their complaint. He also highlighted the recent disturbing trend of suicides that women employees are resorting to. “Every week, 2 to 3 cases are being reported and companies have to address this by seeking help from specialists,” he advised.

Sangita Reddy said, “After generations of oppression women faced, we are beginning to see the opening up of multiple windows. However, we need to look at how we can help women leap to the next stage of taking on leadership roles and also ensure that when women are reaching out to stars, they don’t fall in the puddle. The real daily puddles for women are safety and security.”