Click to play videoNew Delhi: Bhartnatyam danseuse Geeta Chandran brings out the paradox of being a woman in Delhi - a city that in many ways celebrates women, in its art and music, its market places and colleges, and even in its politics. Nearly 65 lakh women live in Delhi and though many prominent women of the country have been nurtured here in the Capital, the city today is becoming increasingly hostile to the women who call it home.
Geeta Chandran says, "Delhi gives tremendous opportunities, specially to women. Every art form finds its space here. My fondest memory is of cycling to school from here. The city was very safe. The fact that women dont feel safe in Delhi anymore is something that I hate about the city. It's lost its tehzeeb. Women need to be aggressive to survive here."
Geeta's worries aren't unfounded. Everyday, instances of crime against women confirm the city's dubious distinction of being the rape capital of the country. In 2006, the crime bureau recorded about 20,000 cases of rape, 36,000 cases of molestation and more than 10,000 of sexual harassment - numbers that almost every woman who steps out to work, study, shop etc can vouch for.
One of the biggest challenges that 20-year-old model Simar faces is the lack of a dependable transport system to negotiate between work and home.
"Travelling in autos at night is a problem, one can't negotiate with drivers, one can't even trust them. I avoid stretches like Vasant Kunj in the night. If I take an auto, I get a friend to call me and stay on the phone. One can't trust the police either," says she.
For many the metro, now operational in many parts of the city has come as a manna, but in most areas, the problem still remains that of poor lighting on the streets making them crime prone.
Social activist Nafisa Ali says, "Delhi doesn't choose who comes here, but even a woman who thinks she's invincible and strong is actually quite vulnerable. Being a woman in Delhi, one has to be careful against chain snatchers, bag snatchers, people who want to pull you into their cars, people who want to shoot you."
This election, 60 women candidates are hoping for a seat in the city's legislative Assembly. The number may have gone down from last time's 78 but safety and security does seem to be the big election issue this time around - at least in rhetoric, if not in spirit.
BJP candidate from Patel Nagar, Anita Arya says, "My main issue is the security of women. There should be women's thanas police stations."
RK Puram Congress MLA Barkha Singh adds, "For the women, there should be anganwadi and other such facilities in place."
A woman Chief Minister at the helm of affairs for the last 10 years and even a woman mayor, but has their sensitivity as women percolated in terms of policies or even attitudes? The CM's words recently have inspired little confidence among the city's women. The last decade has seen a marked shift in the lifestyles of women in the Capital but the infrastructure and law enforcing agencies are yet to catch up the security needs of women in the ever growing metropolis.
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