Bengaluru women out to reclaim the night

Bengaluru: Thirty major cities including Bengaluru, along with several rural districts are set to march in solidarity protesting against sexual harassment of women and minorities on Saturday after the incidents of sexual violence all over the nation that have shocked the country.     

While the tremors of the incidents that took place on New Year’s Eve in the city may have left us shaken, safety of women and gender sensitization has been a long standing issue, not just in the country, but globally, says Divya Titus, who is heading the Bengaluru chapter. The protest has been aptly named I Will Go Out. “We need to take a strong national stand against sexual harassment. The idea is to march simultaneously all across the country for the cause. I Will Go Out has three objectives. Firstly, gender sensitization and a cry against victim blaming. Secondly, women should be able to go out in a public space at any time of the day and feel safe. This is a way to reclaim public spaces and feel safe in them. Thirdly, show that harassment should be taken seriously, which means adding weight to such incidents in front of the law,” she explained. The peaceful march will begin from Bangalore City Railway Station and continue up to Freedom Park at 5pm on Saturday. The walk will be followed by Pushpa Achant, Bengaluru based author and journalist and other dignitaries addressing the crowd.

“We have been committed to the cause since July 2016, and we saw that women went through this turmoil everyday, be it urban or rural, across national and state boundaries through social media. It is important for women to not let the fear get to us. Women are told to be careful all the time, but by doing that one is restricting her right to live on her own terms. Perhaps individually, there is little we can do, but collectively, we can take a stand,” she told Deccan Chronicle on Friday.