Assessing the Maharashtra Women's Commission's Commitment to Safety of Common Women

Women's security is the biggest and most serious issue in India. Mumbai, at least, was recognised as a safe city for women. It had the image of being the safest city for women. However, in the last few years, with the increasing rate of crimes against women in Mumbai, the perception of Mumbai as the safest city for women is starting to change.

Whenever serious crimes occur in Mumbai related to women, it becomes news, but no one strongly addresses the issue. Women political leaders simply visit the crime scene and provide reactions to news channels, rather than taking substantial action.

Local trains, the metro, auto journeys, hostels, workplaces, coaching classes, and more are no longer safe for women, as there have been numerous cases of molestation reported in various places in Mumbai recently.

MSCW established on January 25, 1993

The Maharashtra State Commission for Women was established on January 25, 1993. The office of the State Commission for Women is located in Bandra East, and its main focus is the eradication of violence against women. The Women's Commission is expected to promptly respond to incidents of exploitation, molestation, or atrocities against women. However, we rarely see the Women's Commission take a strong stance on matters concerning women.

MSCW accepts crime against women on the rise

Rupali Chakankar, the Chairperson of The Maharashtra State Commission for Women, also admitted to FPJ (Free Press Journal) that the number of missing girls is increasing in the city. She points out at the many loopholes in the basic system that is responsible for its inability to control crimes against women.

Chakankar emphasises the need for strong organisations like Bharosa Cell, Damini Pathak, Beat Marshall, and the Internal Complaints Committee. She suggests that every police station should have a Bharosa cell and every office should appoint an ICC committee.

Women's Commission trying to appoint ICC Committee

When FPJ asked what exactly the Women's Commission actively does to control the rate of crimes against women, the Chairperson of the Women's Commission said, "In the last 16 months, we have been trying to appoint an ICC committee. I have visited 16 districts and made efforts for it. The Women's Commission has done satisfactory work, but we cannot claim to have achieved 100% of our goals. We have a lot of work to do in the future. The Commission has initiated anti-harassment awareness programs to raise awareness in society. We are continuously striving to appoint Beat Marshalls and Damini Pathans, and for that, we were working on the necessary documentation with the state government. Unfortunately, the government was ruled by people with different ideologies, which had hindered our progress."

Affiliation of President of Women's Commission to Congress affecting her work?

Rupali Chakankar is affiliated with a political party, which allegedly leads to her involvement in politics rather than focusing on solving women's issues. When FPJ raised this concern, she responded, "In the past, seven chairpersons of the Women's Commission belonged to political parties. I was the one who resigned from my political post when I was appointed as the Chairperson of The Maharashtra State Commission. Some previous chairpersons were involved in national-level politics and were appointed as chairpersons of the Women's Commission. However, recently I was appointed as the president of the Women's Nationality Congress party. I believe that every woman politician should raise the issue of crimes against women whenever and wherever they occur."

In the past, whenever a case related to a celebrity arose, the existence of the Women's Commission was evident. However, when it comes to common women, who stands up for them? This question remains unanswered.

Statistics

The matters registered at Women's Commission

1 March 2023 to 31 March 2023

Marriage conflicts - 264

Pending court matters - 00

Dowry - 00

Rapes and social issues - 325

Property problems - 97

Molestation at the workplace - 00

Harassment at the workplace - 73

Other - 327

Total - 1086

1 April 2023 to 30 April 2023

Marriage conflicts - 274

Pending court matters - 00

Dowry - 00

Rapes and social issues - 254

Property problems - 81

Molestation at the workplace - 00

Harassment at the workplace - 51

Other - 292

Total - 952

1 May 2023 to 31 May 2023

Marriage conflicts - 276

Pending court matters - 00

Dowry - 00

Rapes and social issue - 247

Property problems - 77

Molestation at the workplace - 12

Harassment at the workplace - 37

Other - 334

Total - 979

1 March 2023 to 31 May 2023

Marriage conflicts - 814

Pending court matters - 00

Dowry - 00

Rapes and social issue - 826

Property problems - 255

Molestation at the workplace - 12

Harassment at the workplace - 161

Other - 953

Total - 3017