Delhi-NCR wants grassroot initiatives for women safety: Survey

New Delhi, Dec 14: Most people in the national capital and NCR believe that a change in mindset of the society is crucial to ensure gender equality and initiatives at grassroot level will help abate incidents of violence against women, a recent survey has found.

Delhi-NCR has witnessed a spate in incidents of violence against women with the recent one being the alleged rape of a 27-year-old woman finance executive by a cab driver.

According to a study conducted by Market Xcel Data Matrix with sample size of 3,000 residents of Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon, comprising 51 per cent men and 49 per cent women, all of them were aware about the campaigns initiated by the government to emphasise on women safety.

About 72 per cent respondents believe that a change in the mindset of the society is crucial to ensure gender equality. But 25 per cent respondents believe that a change in mindset would not affect gender inequality.

95 per cent people believe that emphasis on women safety would remove gender biasness and would also increase security. On an individual level, 50 per cent feel that by creating a 'society for women safety' in their locality would contribute to this drive.

Around 50 per cent people feel that equal education right to women would help change the mindset to ensure women's safety, 25 per cent also feel that equal status of male and female would help reducing gender inequality.

As many as 1,500 respondents hailed from Delhi, 750 from Gurgaon and 750 from Noida. In what could be an alarming observation, only 13 per cent of the total respondents believe that girls under the age of 18 years should not get married while only 8 per cent said they would not take dowry at the time of marriage.

However, 87 per cent respondents feel that building more toilets in the country would ensure women's safety.

Among other initiatives of the Narendra Modi government which people in the national capital region are cent percent aware of include 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan', 'Namami Ganga' while majority feel the need for development in laying more emphasis on safety for women.

On the issue of increased traffic violations and the government's initiative on road safety, respondents said hike in fines to reduce traffic violations will make people more aware and avoid violating any traffic rule and would also prevent loss of innocent lives in accidents.

On E-rickshaws getting a green signal from government, while 89 per cent respondents feel that this is an excellent pollution free alternative, cheap as well as affordable, 74 per cent feel it will lead to chaos on roads and 67 per cent said it will compromise with passengers' security.

More than 90 per cent national capital residents also said that 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' would lessen instance of diarrhea, cholera, malaria and at an individual level 70 per cent feel that by spreading awareness and educating people about cleanliness they can support this drive.

94 per cent feel the need for more toilets in the country as a hygiene requirement and lack or insufficiency of water would make it more messy.

70 per cent suggest RWA/Panchayats that regular cleanliness of public toilets should be practiced and around 95 per cent feel that by laying emphasis on the public drinking water facility, water born diseases can be prevented.

PTI