Police personnel give a student lessons on self-defence during the inauguration of Wings 2023, an expo on women’s safety organised by the Kerala Police, in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: S. MAHINSHA
Highlighting isolated instances to create an impression that women in the State are not safe is not a good practice, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
He was speaking after inaugurating Wings 2023, an expo on women’s safety organised by the Kerala Police to create awareness about violence against women and children, here on Thursday.
The Chief Minister said the State did not compromise on the issue of women’s safety and this was the government’s approach too. It took such atrocities against women and children very seriously. Those guilty of such acts, however highly placed they were, would be brought to book. This would be apparent if one examined recent events, he said.
Institutions such as the Women and Child Development department, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the Kerala Women’s Commission, the Social Justice department and so on were implementing various projects for women’s welfare and safety such as Nirbhaya project, preventing domestic violence and dowry, and ensuring safe workplaces, he said.
Besides the State police’s Aparajita helpline, a help desk for women in police stations, the protection project Pink, cyber police stations, and self-defence training too helped ensure safety the safety of women. However, it was a matter of grave concern that despite these mechanisms, there was reluctance to use them when issues arose. Lack of awareness about laws to ensure women’s safety, difficulties in ensuring justice, and conditions of various families was the reason for this. This had to change, said Mr. Vijayan.
There was no place for gender discrimination in a society based on social justice. Tolerance was not the way to go in case of attacks on women. Reluctance to file complaints encouraged the accused. Everyone should understand this, since a terrible episode of one person should not be experienced by another, the Chief Minister said.
Mayor Arya Rajendran presided over the function held at Government College for Women, Vazhuthacaud. State Police Chief Anil Kant and other senior police officials were also present.
The expo will conclude on Friday. Stalls for creating awareness about safety in public spaces, cyberspace, and within houses; parents’ clinic, safe migration, and counselling have been arranged. Self-defence training for women led by the police too is available.
