Before I give any tips, lets ponder a while who or what makes the society? Its us - the people. Each and every family that resides in this world/country/locality together, makes up the society. And every human being ( whether we like or not to accept ), comes from same the source/species. Hence, we all are related in some way to one another, no matter which corner of this world we are from. Then, why are we not safe from other human beings? Most probably we are the only species in this world who causes so much harm to the others of our same species.
And females are the ones who generally suffers the most in all these. But before I go and blame all the men in this universe for our plight, I'd say, not men but mostly women themselves are responsible for crimes caused against women.
Doesn't a mother-in-law most often instigates and provokes her son in making dowry demands and makes the daughter-in-law's life miserable?
Doesn't women ( esp in most parts of our society ) crave for a boy child always, forgetting that she herself is a woman.
Doesn't women herself go to the clinic to abort a girl child? Without the woman's consent, can anyone else force the abortion? And sadly, the women more often than not, are eager to get rid of girl child - truth as they say, is bitter. And the doctor who helps kill the girl-child is a woman too, in most cases.
Aren't boys the usually pampered ones in the family, and girl siblings almost always taught that they are inferior to their brothers, by the women in the family ( i.e by the mother/grandmother/aunts). A girl's education is abruptly halted and forcibly married off at young age, not to say they are also asked to learn household duties instead of playing while still young.
Aren't boys usually allowed to go scotfree by saying "Aare yeh to ladka hai" and girls always expected to behave most of the times? Girls must always compromise and adjust.
So, if from childhood boys are not taught proper behaviour and respect for women, crimes against women shall forever continue. So, my first and foremost tip will be for women themselves that - when they become mothers, do not be discriminating or biased towards genders of your children. Treat them equal, treat them respect. And it is mothers alone, who are the main teachers in building up the society, because mothers are most closest to the child, from birth. So, it is very important for mothers to impart the right knowledge/guidance.
When I googled "Rape Capital of the World", the first 3 links that came up, pointed directly at Delhi. It'd make any person's head hang in shame. Nearly one in three rape victims in India is under the age of 18. One in 10 are under 14. Every 20 minutes in India, a woman is raped. And many cases of sexual assault actually go unreported, so those statistics would be way higher. Situation today is such that not just Delhi, but in almost all places women's safety is a big issue. And though ideally we would not like any apps to keep us safe, rather be able to live and breathe free - we have no choice but to be alert and arm ourselves with measures of precautions. It has become most necessary in current times.
Below are 10 must Suraksha tips for women :
1. When I was in school, and wasn't really aware what on earth 'rape' was, I learnt martial arts ( tae-kwon-do ). I knew it was to make girls brave in any circumstances. Later on, when I started knowing about horrifying incidents like rape/molestation/eve teasing etc via various newspapers/articles, I realized how important those martial arts lessons were. It is most important for girls to enroll in such self-defense courses early on, and practice atleast for sometime everyday - so as not to loose touch with the techniques ( yes, don't give up even when you grow old - remember old women too gets raped ). It gives supreme confidence and also teaches some basics - how to completely over-power and almost paralyze an attacker. You don't have to be physically strong or heavily built to defend yourself - just knowing the right sensitive areas to kick or hit will do the trick ( e.g eyes, nose, ears, neck, knees, legs and groins are usually the weakest spots to target ). Moreover, martial arts is an exercise in itself as well, to keep fit.
2. Carrying pepper-spray/deodorant or even a pocket knife ( or anything sharp e.g safety pins ) is very important. And keep them in your bag in such a place that is easy to put your hand in and take them out in emergency. If you can, try also keeping them in your pocket instead, as it'll be easy to take out. Everyday objects like a key/pen can also be used as weapons. Simply hold them between fingers, while walking alone esp during dark and use them to poke the sensitive areas of the assailant if attacked. Umbrellas are good weapons too.
- If attacked at home, normal kitchen things like chilli powder/turmeric or even cutlery/utensils comes very handy. Just start throwing utensils etc around or at them and make as much noise possible.
3. It is very important to dress modestly especially in a country like India. Most Indians ( except the upper-middle /rich class ) are not much aware of the western culture thats creeping into our society. The general people you encounter on roads or small cities have mostly grown up with a conservative mentality - so we should not wear anything indecent or too revealing that might attract unnecessary attention. If you want to wear something really skimpy for some party - just carry the dress in your bag and change into it in the venue's wash-room, and change back before leaving. Or simply wear a light long over-shirt on top of the dress. It may sound a hassle, but in reality it is not. And it'll save you lot of trouble. Lets face it, if you're dressed indecent - people might think you're easy, loose-charactered or available. Its sad, but thats the over-all mentality people have.
4. Donot wear jewellery in crowded public places. There are lots of chain grabbers lurking around, who keep an eye looking out for an easy prey. It once happened with my mother, when she was walking back home by a narrow lane, which was deserted. The assailant suddenly snatched off her gold chain from her neck and vanished in a blink of an eye-lid, totally stunning my mother. So, never wear such expensive items.
- That said, it'd be also advisable not to count money in public - people often do that while taking cash from ATM/bank. Avoid doing that, as it invites danger.
5. Don't talk to strangers. This is perhaps the best way to keep ourselves safe. Just donot talk to anyone you don't know. Be in ignore mode. If you are going to meet someone for the first time, try googling up his name beforehand and find out as much information you can, about the person from various social networking profiles ( eg facebook/twitter ). Or simply donot meet any stranger from net, be safe.
6. Be prepared in advanced. In this day and age of the internet, we have the advantage of doing proper research about a place before heading out. If you are going to a new place, just find out as much information you can about the place - such as important landmark sites or roads/markets. Take help of google images and maps, and it'll be easy to find out your exact location. When you have enough knowledge, people too won't take you for a ride.
7. Do not go to deserted places. Try moving along the crowd as much as possible. It generally keeps you safe and makes you less vulnerable. But in case you do have to walk in a deserted place and is stalked at night, enter a house ( or a shop if you can find one ) and explain them about your situation. In case no shops are open, go inside an ATM booth. ATM booths generally have guards/cctv cameras.
- If you find yourself alone with a stranger in a lift, press all the buttons up to the floor where you have to go. With the lift halting in every floor, no one would dare to attack.
8. Look out for anything suspicious - could be unclaimed parcels lying around or behaviour of people moving around you. Be observant of your surroundings. Have a confident look while you observe. Do not show any signs of nervousness or vulnerability. If you see anything lying around, inform the police immediately. If you see suspicious behaviour, keep alert all times.
9. Before you get into any auto/cab ( especially at night ), remember to jot down its registration number. Call up a friend and pass the number loud enough, so that the driver hears it too. He wouldn't dare to attack that way, knowing a third party has his details.
- Also, keep a stole or the purse handle ready, in case the auto dares to turn into a wrong street. You can instantly use them to choke him from behind. You can also grab him by his collars.
10. Last but not the least, is use Smart Suraksha! This App is one such application for Android phones which at the touch of a single button sends your message of help to five pre-chosen contacts on your phone. Another great feature of this app being that along with your message, it also fetches and sends your location to the chosen contacts even if the GPS setting on your phone is switched off. This ensures that at all times you are reachable to your close ones and that your safety is ensured.
Following the above pointers, you can definitely defeat any attacker any time and be safe, confident and fearless! |
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