The government to the best of its ability tries to make the city safer for women. And in continuation of this safety drive is this new initiative — Women only doors. The Bengaluru Metro plans to implement a move where women will be allowed to use the first two doors behind the loco pilot’s coach in some trains from March 1. While they will be allowed to enter through these doors, they can exit through any door. The coach itself won’t be reserved only for women, but to do away with the pushing, jostling and rush while entering a metro, men will not be allowed to use these doors. In a scenario where sexual abuse and harassment is the focus, city youngsters delve into what this initiative means to them.
Today’s woman is independent, and straddles work and home fires well. With endless traffic woes in the city, the metro is a saviour for many. Giving women the right to use the metro through these women-only doors is welcomed by many. Sowmya Krishnamurthy, a software engineer feels, “The number of working women has increased considerably, and since the Metro is known to be a convenient mode of transport, this is a good initiative. It would solve problems like abuse and molestation, especially in a huge crowd. I hope this move achieves the success the Indian Railways had when they implemented the women-only compartments. I also think that along with this initiative, there should be some penalty for men who try to enter through the women-only doors.”
This idea will greatly benefit women but it might come under fire by men. Anusha Raman, who works in an investment firm says, “This is a great initiative but in an age where people are fighting for gender equality, preference given to women is not needed. I have seen many metro stations, where a queue system is prevalent to ensure people do not rush towards the door. I think that when this system is implemented properly, there is no need for such ideas. The chances of this initiative being accepted are about 50/50 as men might have an issue with women being given priority. While the initiative solves the problem to an extent, I feel that women might tend to rush in rather than going in an orderly fashion.”
It’s a universal fact that women do not share the same strength men do. This software engineer feels that women-only doors will help women board trains freely. Rishabh Mehta says, “This is a very good idea in a city that is crowded. I feel that instead of just two doors, they can make the first, last and one door in the middle exclusively for women. The initiative will aid women in entering the metro without struggle. These doors can be exclusively used for children as well. With so much being done towards women empowerment, this move comes at a perfect time. I for one will have peace of mind when women in my family are travelling.”
Sociologist Sudeshna Mukherjee says, “Although this is a good initiative, if the Bengaluru Metro brings in more coaches, it would be much better. The city has such a large population and to cater to all these people, more coaches are the need of the hour. Also, during rush hour there is a lot of chaos at metro stations. Clear indication and marks need to be put in place so women are aware of the doors especially for them. This will help women wait at the platform. Many women will appreciate this move. Increasing train frequencies will also help commuters.”
