Delhi govt to take measures to ensure safety of women

, Feb 7: Even as the

government is set to launch Mahila Suraksha Dal (MSD) to ensure safety of women, Delhi's Women and Child Development Minister, Rakhi Birla today said a change in mindset is imperative to bring about gender equity.

"Change in mindset is prerequisite for gender equity, and for that youth of the country have to actively participate in politics to bring about a significant change," said Birla at a function "Celebrating Womanhood" here. About MSD, Birla said that it will be set up once the Committee on women's safety submits its recommendations to the government.

"The committee will submit its report on February 15 after which MSD and other initiatives would be implemented to ensure safety of women in Delhi," she said. Delhi Cabinet in January had set up a high level committee headed by the chief secretary to recommend concrete measures for setting up of Mahila Suraksha Dal (MSD) across the city.

Reiterating that her government is concerned about the security and safety of women, Birla said MSD would help bring down cases of harassment and anyone can volunteer to be part of it. "I have received many emails and more than 150 people have approached me who are willing to join MSD," she said. More than twenty well-trained squads of MSD would be deployed in every constituency who will patrol the area and help women in distress.

Birla further said that the government also plans to organise street plays and launch awareness programmes to bring to light issues of gender disparity, sex-selective abortion and gender-based violence. Other proposals like providing instruments with sensors for women to be used in vulnerable circumstances are also being considered by the government.

"Several instruments like rings and mobile phones with sensors can be used by women when in distress to alert their family members," she said.

PTI