Build more toilets for women; ensure last mile connectivity: Maliwal

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chief Swati Maliwal has requested the government agencies to build more women toilets and enhance the public transportation system for safety and welfare of city women.

Maliwal expressed her views at the third core group meeting on women safety which was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary K.K Sharma.

The meeting of the core group on women safety, which was convened after a gap of eight months, included representatives of Municipal Corporations, Delhi state health, education, child and women welfare departments and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). However, there was no representative from the Delhi Police.

The DCW chief, who was a special invitee to the meeting, again reiterated that how Delhi is unsafe for women.

In highlighting that there were fewer toilets for women in the city, Maliwal asked the agencies to speed up in building toilets. Maliwal also asked the government to enhance public transportation system and add more buses so that the last mile connectivity for women can be improved.

Providing further suggestions, the DCW Chief advocated for the need of mandatory self-defence training in all government schools. She also urged the Delhi Police to increase policing outside government schools.

The DCW Chief informed Chief Secretary K K Sharma of the terrible condition of shelter homes which made women in these shelter homes more vulnerable to sexual crimes.

Swati Maliwal said: “There are various agencies that are functioning in Delhi. To ensure that all must come together, we have recommended a high-level committee which includes the Union Home Minister, Chief Minister of Delhi, Delhi Police Commissioner and the DCW chief. As there was no response from the government for one year over this proposal, we finally moved the court.”