Dikshit endorses ‘Womanifesto’

In Delhi, all contesting political parties have included something about women’s safety in their party manifestos. But a group of leaders and activists want to push them further. They have issued a six-point ‘Womanifesto’, supported by the group Avaaz, asking all the chief ministerial candidates for their endorsement. It’s being called a new plan that “could make Delhi safe for everyone.”

It asks the candidates to enact it within one year if elected. Economist and Padma Bhushan awardee Devaki Jain, in a message asking supporters to contact the CM candidates by Twitter and email has written: The Delhi Election Womanifesto sets out commitments the new CM must fulfill in their first year in office. It covers six areas vital for Delhi’s women.

From public education, to responsive police and law courts, to safer streets and support for survivors. Let’s get public promises now, then once the election is over, we can hold the new Chief Minister to their commitments. Sheila Dikshit has just signed on. Avaaz.org has a link for how the other candidates can be contacted. The full document with all its signatories.

1 .Educate everyone: We will develop and begin to deliver comprehensive, well—funded and long—term public education programmes to end the culture of gender based violence including: curricula for each level in schools and universities, teacher training programmes; SMS, radio and TV public service campaigns to challenge the mindsets behind violence against women; curricula in medical schools and law schools, and modules for professional training.

2. Make laws count: We will work to ensure each government agency produces a detailed action plan to implement the laws to end violence against women and foster their enforcement. This will include infrastructure, personnel, training and will specify the funds allotted for each intervention. We will also adopt a Code of Conduct to end misogynist language in the Vidhan Sabha.

3. Responsive Police: We will work with the Central Government to establish and enforce a public protocol for police response to crimes against women. We will change service rules to recruit, promote and penalise based on gender attitudes and performance; recruit more police officers to more effectively patrol and protect (particularly women); and establish rape crisis response teams. Police personnel who breach the new procedures will be investigated and removed.

4. Faster, Competent courts: We will establish more fast track courts for crimes of violence against women, increase the number of judges to 30 per lO0,000 population and increase the related staff and infrastructure. We will work with the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court to seek reform of court procedures to address victims’ needs.

5. Support to Survivors: We will adequately fund and set up one—stop 24 hour crisis centres in hospitals in each police district, to provide comprehensive services to women who are victims of violent crimes. Services will include police liaison, medical, legal and counselling services, links to voluntary shelters and compensation. One stop crisis centres will improve and merge current rape crisis cells and crisis intervention centres where appropriate.

6. Safe streets, safe city: We will ensure Delhi is safe to move around, day and night. We will include women's safety Guidelines in the City Development plan, Master Plans and Local Area plans, and conduct safety audits. We will set up accessible night shelters, crèches, and women's toilets, especially in the poorest areas. We will expand the DTC bus fleet to 25,000; run safe transit workshops with drivers' associations and unions; increase metro and bus security services; and extend the Delhi metro's hours of operation.

Initial signatories: Devaki Jain, Economist and Padma Bhushan awardee — Karuna Nundy, Advocate, Supreme Court of India - Kavita Krishnan, AIPWA and Bekhauf Azaadi campaign - Ayesha Kidwai, Professor, Centre for Linguistics, JNU – Sehba Farooqui, Janwadi Mahila Samiti - Janaki Nair, Professor, Centre for Historical Studies, JNU - Suneeta Dhar, Jagori,- Shreya lla Anasuya, Avaaz - Urvashi Butalia, Founder, Zubaan; Padma Shri, — Kiran Shaheen - Revati Laul, Journalist - Revati Laul, Journalist - Nandini Rao — Nilanjana Roy, Writer- Lata Singh - Anita Roy, Senior Editor, Zubaan - Gautam Bhan, Urban planner and activist- Helen Saldanha - Neha Dixit, Journalist - Anita Satyapal - Prita Rani Jha - Juhi Jain - Sadhna Arya - Dyuti — Lalita Ramdas – Urvashi Butalia, Zubaan, Padma Shri awardee - Janaki Abraham, Assistant Professor of Sociology, JNU - Abha Bhaiya - Paromita Vohra, Writer and Filmmaker- Aman Biradari, Centre for Equity Studies - Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Raqs Media Collective - Monica Narula, Raqs Media Collective - Jeebesh• Bagchi, Raqs Media Collective — Siddharth Varadarajan, Journalist and Former Editor, The Hindu - Jeet Thayil, Writer, winner of DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, and the Hindu Literary Prize - Lalita Ramdas - Anita Ghai, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Jesus and mary college Delhi- Women Power Connect — Madhu Mehra.