Women Mobilise For Safety, Dignity With Two Marches Across Bhopal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Two independent groups of women will take out separate marches across the city on Oct 10, demanding stronger measures for the safety, dignity and protection of women and girls. The groups are not affiliated with any political party and have mobilised participants through social media. The organisers termed this as the first such women-led mobilisation in Bhopal.

The mobilisation comes amid growing concerns over women’s safety in public spaces. The groups had also held a protest on Gandhi Jayanti and are now expanding the campaign through dedicated social media pages and women’s groups.

The two marches will begin from different locations. The ‘Nari Shakti: By the Women, For the Women’ march, led by Sadaf Khan and Asma, will start from Boat Club and move towards Shyamla Hills. The second march, led by social activist Rachna Dhingra, will begin from Bharat Bhawan and proceed towards the Van Vihar gate.

The organisers are planning to merge both these marches later at a designated point. Organisers said each of the two women’s social media groups has around 300 participants.

Their key demands

The women are seeking free or affordable self-defence and martial arts programmes through schools, colleges and community institutions, along with regular deployment of female police personnel in areas frequently used by women, including educational institutions, markets and public transport points. They have also demanded better street lighting, CCTV coverage, emergency assistance systems and faster police response in vulnerable areas.