To celebrate women's day, Delhi police turn 'pink'

Ujwal Jalali

New Delhi, March 8 (IANS) To send out a strong message of empowerment, safety and security of women, by women and for women, the Delhi police were seen projecting the 'pink' colour through different programmes and initiatives on the occasion of International Women's Day on Tuesday.

The pink colour, according to several surveys, has been most often associated with politeness, sensitivity and femininity.

The International Women's Day is a global festival celebrated annually on March 8 to commemorate the cultural, political and socioeconomic achievements of women. It is also a focal point in the women's rights movement focusing attention on issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights and violence against women.

Actualizing the theme i.e. "Gender Equality Today For A Sustainable Tomorrow", a number of events were organised by the Delhi Police at the district and headquarter levels.

The Pink Booths, which have been set up in all the districts with women staff so that women can approach the police without any hesitation and share their concerns, remained the centre of attraction on Tuesday. Decorated with flowers and balloons, the pink booths projected the women strength of the police force.

The DCPs of all the districts shared their messages to celebrate the women's day with residents of the city.

Six districts of Delhi Police are currently headed by women DCPs, 3 women officers are heading Ranges and 9 women SHOs are presently posted in field formations.

Sharing their message, DCP East Priyanka Kashyap said that an 'attitudinal change' among the force is very important to work in the direction of real women empowerment.

"In this direction only, we have set up women help desks at every police station where women staff is present 24X7 so that any woman can get confidence to approach us without fear," Kashyap said.

She added that on the directions of Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana, the east district police has set up 'pink booths' for women complainants. Apart from this, the police have trained over 500 girls of the district in self defence under the 'Sashakti Programme'.

"We have 356 female staff and I can tell you that they perform very well," the senior officer averred.

A day ago Commissioner Asthana had said that the Delhi Police is committed to enhance women's strength to upto 25 per cent till 2025.

DCP Southeast Esha Pandey, who took charge of the south east district on September 27, 2021, urged young women to choose Delhi Police as their career.

Pandey appointed the first woman in charge of a police post in the history of the south east district. "Woman SI Seema has been doing a very good job in Sriniwaspuri," she said.

The DCP informed that they also started a woman patrolling team called "Jaguar" who patrol the crowded market areas and provide help to any woman in distress. "We are also providing self defence training to young girls and women. All police stations now have women help desks," she added.

Central District DCP Shweta Chauhan said that they have turned 48 police booths into 'pink booths' that are exclusively run by the women staff. "An all women "Veera" squad was also started where women police personnel patrol on scooties," CHauhan said.

She informed that a separate pink complaint box has also been attached to every police station focussing on redressal of women complaints.

"A special women complaint redressal system -- Mahila Jan Sunwayi -- where we listen to the complaints of only women is also carried out twice a month," the officer said.

South district, which is also headed by a woman DCP, Benita Mary Jaiker, has launched several initiatives for women. For the International Women's Day, the Defence Colony police station was turned into an all women police station across ranks and fields.

A special pink booth catering to the problems faced by women was inaugurated in south Delhi on Tuesday.

"The booth has been constructed keeping in view the problems faced by women, who visit Alaknanda market for shopping from nearby areas like Govindpuri, Kalkaji, Tughlakabad and nearby DDA apartments viz. Narmada, Neelgiri, Gangotri Yamuna, Tara etc,'' Jaiker said.

The booth has several facilities including a child friendly room, baby feeding room, baby nappy changing station, air conditioned waiting lounge for women, sanitary napkin vending machine, wheelchair for senior citizens and disabled women, coffee/tea and soup vending machine, water dispenser, instant E FIR/Lost report kiosk, children playing park, complaint/suggestion box and feedback QR Code.

(Ujwal Jalali can be reached at [email protected])