RAJASTHAN : Jhalawar is the bastion of Vasundhara Raje, ex-Chief Minister of Rajasthan, yet it is counted among one of the most backward districts of the state. It is one of the twelve districts in Rajasthan currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme. However, it is ultimately a woman IAS officer who is now proving to be a beacon light for women empowerment.
Last January, Dr Bharti Dixit was given the responsibility of the District Magistrate of Jhalawar that lies adjacent to Madhya Pradesh on the south-eastern tip of Rajasthan. Soon after assuming office, she was aghast that the statistics related to heinous crimes against women in Jhalawar were extremely high in comparison to the rest of the state. One of the toppers in the women category of the 2014 IAS batch, she was also stupefied cases of rape, gang rape and crimes related to Pocso Act were much higher than the average NCRB figures.
Perturbed by the harsh reality that criminals were taking advantage of girls and committing crimes by alluring them into their traps, she launched a programme “Coffee with Collector” wherein she invited school girls and women to understand why such problems occurred and what were the possible solutions. Her stirring words on the need for women empowerment motivated school and college girls to confide about the various harassments faced by them from men.
Since it is not possible to have a family member walk with the girls all the time nor have police posted everywhere nor any rational solution was available, Dr Bharti decided to make women aware of how to respond to specific situations.
This she felt was necessary in view of illiteracy and lack of efforts in government educational institutions and Anganwadis. Dr Bharti also realised that most women or girls did not understand the circumstances under which crimes were committed against them nor how the same could be avoided.
Hence, taking a comprehensive view of the problems as well as developing self-confidence of the young women, Dr Bharti Dixit started a ten-day self-defence training program in the city. The seeds for such daring approach came to Bharti via her parents who were both teachers. Having just another sister as a sibling who too is a doctor like herself, Bharti informs her parents raised them like boys.