CHENNAI: It’s 5.30 pm on a weekday and as many flock to Dr Natesan Park on Venkatanarayana Road in T Nagar, a group of older women make their way to the open gym. It is a popular facility in the park that has equipment including elliptical trainers, giant wheels and tummy twisters - a beacon of hope to take that New Year resolution seriously but, with a free gym membership. With the Park Department of the Corporation installing more such equipments at several parks in the city, more women have started taking their fitness regimen seriously.
But, do they feel safe and comfortable while working out in public? We find out. Wearing a sari and neon running shoe, 53-year-old Kavitha Krishnan uses the air-walker as she chats with us. “I was really excited when an open gym was set up in the park. Gyms are very expensive and women of different age groups come here to work out. But, it’s very disheartening to see how uncomfortable we are made to feel. Men constantly stare and sometimes they sit/stand right opposite to where we work out. Not all the time, and not all men, but yes, it happens.
There was even a time when a man recorded a video of a woman, who comes here regularly to work out,” she rues. With early mornings, between 6 am and 7 am, and evenings between 5 pm and 6.30 pm, being the peak hours for women to work out, the footfall of male gaze increases simultaneously. “Parks are full of life, filled with people of different age groups chatting and playing around. That’s why I came here. But, because of bad experiences I had to stop.
During those six months, men would stare and pass inappropriate comments,” shares Malavika Sankararaman (22). During those times, women do not confront the perpetrators, nor do they report it. “Since parks are open for public, it wasn’t the same group of men who troubled me/us. Hence, lodging a complaint or confronting them wasn’t possible. I had to stop going to the parks,” rues Malavika, a resident of Virugambakkam. More the crowd, lesser the attention, is a widespread notion among women. “To avoid such unpleasant scenarios, we all assemble at the same time in the park before we head to the open gym,” explains Shanthi Manimaran (40), who works out at the Anna Nagar Tower Park. Despite ogling, cringe-worthy staring and shooting videos and pictures, women continue at the open gym just for the sake of cost-free wellness.
“When we are in groups, we feel safer, and do not pay attention to anyone else. It’s a nightmare when you are alone. How many times can we scare them away or seek help from other walkers/joggers? Also, it doesn’t happen to the same person nor is it the same perpetrator every day. But, every woman faces this problem,” explains Nandita Sashidhar, as she rotates the giant wheels. While the open gym equipments are a hit among visitors, women emphasise that there needs to be vigilance. “I am keen on keeping myself fit, but not at the cost of feeling unsafe and uncomfortable. There needs to be more security,” adds Nandita.