The UN, through its programme Unifem, on Monday launched a “safe cities” campaign worldwide in order to improve the lot of women, both young and old, and make the cities safer place for them to live in. The programme, which has been launched in the capital, will also be implemented in five different cities around the world. The other
four cities where the programme, “Global safe cities free of violence against women and girls”, will be launched are Quito in Ecuador, Cairo in Egypt, Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea and Kigali in Rwanda.
Talking to the media in Delhi on Monday, Unifem executive director Ines Alberdi said, “Everyday women and adolescent girls face sexual harassment and violence as they go about their daily routines whether on the streets, in buses and trains, or in their own neighbourhoods.” She further added, “This limits the freedom and rights of women to education, work, recreation and participation in political life. Violence against women in their private domain, in their homes is recognised as a violation of human rights. But violence in public space remains a neglected issue.”
The programme has got the support of local authorities, NGOs and agencies involved in ending gender based violence, community safety, urban planning and development in all the target cities. It will especially focus on the slum areas and poorest urban dwellers. “Collecting reliable data will be an important part of the safe cities programme, because the lack of data on the cases of violence against women in public space hides the problems and hampers the solution process.”