CHENNAI: A Gender and Policy Lab will study the facilities for women in zones 4 and 5 as a pilot project and provide recommendations to the corporation to make them more gender-inclusive, said Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gangandeep Bedi. Mayor R Priya inaugurated the lab at Ripon Building on Friday.
“Progress of women is not in line with progress of the society. While there has been progress in some, it is the need of the hour that we improve the situation,” said Bedi. Stating this initiative is not mere lip-service, he said it might lead to much-needed improvement to services and infrastructure. “Experts part of the Lab will examine accessibility and usage of civic infrastructure by women and girls in order to bridge gender-usage gaps in these zones,” he said.
Over the next two years, the findings from the studies and intervention will be shared. Speaking at the event, city police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal said 5,200 CCTV cameras will be installed under the Nirbhaya funds in the next six months. “GIS-based mapping technology will also be done to identify vulnerable policing,” he said.
Mayor R Priya said, “To encourage equal development of women, public spaces should be inclusive,” she added. Kalpana Vishwanath, co-founder and CEO of Safetipin which carried out a pilot assessment in Tondiarpet, said the study gives an overall picture of key problems in infrastructure.
‘Perform functions’
Chennai: Replying to allegations of husbands taking over the duties of woman councillors, Mayor R Priya said elected representatives should perform their functions
