VIJAYAWADA: Director General of Police (DGP) D Gautam Sawang attended the closing event of Community-Led Action Program by Police (CLAPP) at operational command control centre here on Wednesday.
Vasavya Mahila Mandali (VMM) in association with The International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care (PCVC) and the US Consulate General Hyderabad organized a year-long project of CLAPP aimed at addressing sexual harassment in public spaces. In their year-long observation, CLAPP and the police identified vulnerable locations in the Central and North zones in the city and suggested changes to provide safe environs for the women and girls. Addressing the event, DGP Gautam Sawang appreciated the efforts of staff for identifying the problematic places and suggested solutions to the problems. He said CLAPP had observed a systematized model and will replicate the same across the State. Explaining the motive of forming Mahila Mitra and Mahila Rakshak teams in the city during his regime as the Commissioner of Police, he said a confidence boost was noticed in women as a result. More and more women approached them and lodged their complaints without shyness or inhibitions.
“Laws itself cannot bring change in people. We can expect a real change in the society only when the people change their mind-set and become aware of the laws,” said the DGP.
John Drew Giblin, Public Affairs Officer of US Consulate Hyderabad, appreciated the activities of Mahila Mitra for working against gender-based violence, gender inequality and women safety in public places.
VMM President Dr B Keerthi briefed on the project activities and how using the SARA model they had collected data related to the nature and extent of sexual harassment and perceptions on sexual harassment from the general public. After analysing the data, a communication tool-kit was developed to be used to raise awareness about harassment in public spaces.
“In the programme, we identified the problematic places and rectified these with the help of police,” she said.