New Delhi:
The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed concern over the safety of women in the country and said that the mindset of the people would have to be converted in relation to women.
In order to make the country a safe and better place for girls and women, a bench of Justice Biwi Nagrathana and Satish Chandra Sharma said, “Leave women alone. We are the only request to leave women alone. We do not need a helicopter around them, monitor them, ban them. Allow them to grow, women of this country would like to grow.”
The bench said that she had sexually harassed women’s real -life cases when they go out in the open to defecate themselves, and commented that women in many places have to wait until the evening is infamous in the evening due to lack of toilets in rural areas.
“In the village, there may be some development due to the Swacha Bharat Abhiyan, but still there are no bathrooms and toilets (in many places). Women who have to reduce themselves have to wait till evening. Young women also have to wait to get out in the evening because they can’t go during the day … We have seen cases …” Jupiter Nagarthana said.
The bench said that the risk is double the same as before, women cannot reduce themselves throughout the day and have adverse effects on their health and secondly they go out in the evening while walking or returning or they face the danger of sexual attack.
The apex court emphasized the need for a multi-dimensional sensitization campaign for the safety of women.
“Whether in cities or rural areas, women’s vulnerability is something that men will never understand. A woman experiences the moment when she moves with a constant burden of ensuring her safety at a road, a bus, or a railway station, is an additional mental load that is carried out at home, and with her responsibilities in the society.
He said, “They should not think that women are to achieve the danger of sexual harassment … mentality has to be changed. In cities and rural areas, there is a threat everywhere.”
The central government informed the apex court that while the National Education Policy (NEP) was available, detailed courses and educational modules related to moral education and gender sensitization were filed so far.
For this, the bench said that the academic year had already started and the matter could not be delayed indefinitely.
The apex court then gave the Center three weeks, in which a comprehensive affidavit was recorded, interpreting the existing module and the proposed steps were taken by it. The apex court posted the case for hearing on 6 May.
The apex court had heard a gene filed by Advocate Abad Harshad Ponda to increase the issues related to gender-based violence, especially sexual assaults and rape, through value-based education and public awareness initiative.
During the hearing, Ponda told the bench that education alone would not be sufficient, as many criminals of such crimes do not go to schools or are beyond the age of formal school education.
Justice Nagrathana asked the central government counsel to consider measures to sensitize people outside the education system.
PIL highlighted the increasing number of crimes against women, especially rape.
The petition sought directions to make people sensitive to rape and punitive provisions for POCSO Act to make the country a better and safe place for girls and women.
It is also said that the subject of moral training is also to be included to ensure sexual equality, women and girls’ rights and freedom to live with dignity.
The petition sought directions to the Center to ask the officials at the local level and the state government officials to educate the public through advertisements, seminars, pamphlets and other mode about punishment laws in the country related to rape and other crimes against women and children.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is published by a syndicated feed.)
