Wings 2018 report throws light of issues face by girls in in urban and rural Maharashtra
Mumbai May 29, 2018:A path-breaking new study reveals the extent of daily harassment feared by girls in India in public spaces, including being subjected to lewd comments, inappropriate touching and other forms of sexual assault. This lack of safety in public spaces not only violates the girls’ right to security and mobility, but it also leads to violation of rights provided to children in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is a human rights.Save the Children in India, India’s foremost agency working towards rights of children and women, has launchedWINGS 2018in presence of the Honourable Minister,Women and Child Welfare, Govt. of Maharashtra,Smt. Pankaja Munde, Honourable Chairperson, Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights,Mr. Pravin Ghuge, General Manager, Save the Children Maharashtra,Mr Sanjay Sharma, General Manager-Research, Save the Children, Dr. Sonali Mukherjee, Child Champions, Ms Saleha Khan and Ms Manisha Kamble. The report, which throws spotlight on the issue of safety of women and children. This report provides greater understanding of the factors that make girls feel unsafe & suggests recommendations to improve public safety for girls based on findings made during the research.
Wings 2018(Maharashtra)study has found that 38% girls are not safe especially in their familiar surroundings like Road near their house, Public Transport, Markets, cinema Halls etc. Such incidents are putting parents in a tough situation like how to send their children to school, or to get vegetables from market without being under the constant stress of the well-being of their child. This Maharashtra specific study interviewed 509 adolescent girls, 185 adolescent boys, 135 parents and 42 young women from Mumbai MC, Nanded MC, Ulhasnagar MC (large cities), and the smaller towns of Baramati and Lonavla. It was noticed that around 78% girls being shunned by society after harassment instead of the fear of being harassed. 85% parents also has the same feeling, that society will not accept their daughter and marriage will be impossible if found that the girl has been abused or harassed.
The study has come up with several measures to improve the situation of girls with suggestions like improved policing, with greater representation of women in the police force, the installation of improved lighting in public spaces, greater development of community support mechanisms like self-help groups, children’s groups and mothers’ groups, mandatory gender training for all public transport drivers including cab and bus drivers, and greater resourcing at a political level for girls’ safety.
Honourable Minister, Women and Child Welfare, Govt. of Maharashtra,Smt. PankajaMunde said, “We are closely working with various departments, like-minded civil societies and institutions to address the girls’ safety issues. Our department believes in collaborative efforts and we will make sure that the women and child are safe and comfortable in public spaces”
Honourable Chairperson, Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Mr. Pravin Ghuge mentioned,“Commission is relentlessly working on the children living in street situations as they are more vulnerable to the harassment and abuses. Past two years, our efforst has been on proving Aadhar Card for the children living on street situation. I believe that’s the first step towards ensuring equal access to the rights.”
Speaking about the event, Sanjay Sharma, State Head - Save the Children in Maharashtra, shared, “All children have a right to feel safe and protected when they are in a public space. We have to ensure that this right is not violated and they can roam about feeling safe and sound. All the stakeholders need to come together and work as a joint forces to address this issue and strengthen existing child protect systems and laws”.
The present study was conducted in six states of India, namely Assam, Delhi-NCR, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana and West Bengal. The sample was selected using nonprobability sampling technique on the basis of geographical location and required primary stakeholders.
About: Save the Children works across 20 states of India; it focusses on issues related to education, health, protection of children and humanitarian work -- especially for the most deprived and marginalized children.