Participating women means being safe

The level of women's participation is a good barometer to determine a country's place on the development spectrum. The spotlight on 'women-led development' this Women's Day was in keeping with India's efforts to become 'developed' by 2047. But the rape of two women near Hampi in Karnataka made the news. Women can hardly essay India's development if they are unable to safely participate in such efforts.

Women's participation is about enabling conditions, safety being a core enabler. Laws and punishments for crimes against women matter. Implementation of the law creates deterrence through exemplary punishment. But perfect implementation doesn't happen, thereby the aim should be to minimise instances of violation. Deterrence is only part of the story. Increasing women's participation means removing barriers to their participation. Preventive and proactive measures to improve women's safety on roads, in their workplaces, in public and not-so-public spaces will remove a major obstacle. An average of 86 rapes are reported every day in India. This does not include sexual harassment, intimidation and other forms of violence directed at women.

Improving women's safety via pragmatic means like better street lighting will have a positive outcome on well-being and ease of living. It requires creating incentives of drawing people back into public space through mechanisms like accessible, reliable and affordable public transport systems that will bring more people out, providing safety in numbers. It will change the design of commercial activities, in turn, changing town planning. Increasing pedestrian traffic will mean better lighting, etc. If India is serious about development, it must first become safer for women to come out and participate.