In north Delhi you can look for 'safe houses'

If you feel you are being followed or fear for your safety in north Delhi’s Mongolpuri area, you can now access a house or a shop near you demarcated as a ‘safe house

’.

A unique community initiative by the residents of Mongolpuri to ensure women and child safety in the area has been launched recently and is going to start from next week. The project includes identifying shops and households that can be marked as safe zones and can be accessed by women for seeking help during the time of distress.

Under this initiative, the identified houses and shops would have the ‘safer cities’ logo through which anyone who wants to seek help can approach them.

In the first phase, almost 100 families and shopkeepers in five blocks of Mangolpuri area have agreed to be a part of it. In a meeting held on March 5, families were apprised about the women and child safety issue in the locality and their consents were taken to be a part of this initiative.

Brain child of NGO Plan India, it is a part of a larger campaign called, ‘Safer city program’ developed in partnership with ‘Women in Cities International’ in order to address the increased risks and opportunities for adolescent girls (13-18 years) in cities.

Kiran, a resident of Mongolpuri who has agreed to become one of the members of the project, said, “In the meeting, we were trained on how to deal with the person who knocks our doors for help. We were also made to meet the police officials of the area police station so that there is a co-ordination between us.”

The logos, to be distributed by the NGO, are being given a final shape so as to make them readable and easy to comprehend by anyone. The NGO is also working to have neon or luminescent colour logos which will be visible during the night hours.

“According to a survey conducted recently, the number of crimes against women is very high in Mongolpuri and Madanpur Khadar, so we have started out with these two areas. The programme strives to increase safety and access to public spaces for women and girls,” said Kriti Gulati from Plan India NGO.

Several awareness raising events are being organised to increase citizen support on the issue of girls’ safety. This is supplemented by a social media campaign to enhance visibility and participation and an opportunity to pledge their support for a safer Delhi.