Women must feel safe using cabs for worry-free career: NCW chief

New Delhi, NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said on Friday that as women stamp their presence across all sectors in India, they must feel secure using app-based cab services, and operators must follow all safety guidelines to ensure a stress-free commute.Women must feel safe using cabs for worry-free career: NCW chiefIn an exclusive interview with PTI, Rahatkar said the commission's recommendations on the safety of women passengers are aimed at ensuring that women can pursue their professional careers without constantly worrying about their security.The NCW last month issued the 'Guidelines for Safety of Women Passengers Using App-Based and Digital Transport Mobility Services', recommending mandatory driver background and police verification, physical SOS buttons in all cabs, enhanced night-time safety measures and real-time alerts for route deviations and suspicious stoppages.The guidelines also call for a dedicated 24x7 Command and Control Centre, with SOS alerts to be responded to within 60 seconds, and a time-bound grievance redressal mechanism for complaints involving harassment, assault and driver misconduct.Rahatkar also wrote to the chief secretaries of all states and Union territories, urging them to take appropriate measures for implementation of the guidelines. The recommendations seek to strengthen safety safeguards before, during and after a ride, amid concerns over harassment of women passengers, identity mismatches, unsafe drop-offs and delays in emergency response.Rahatkar said the number of working women in the country was rising and ensuring their safety and dignity while commuting had become equally important as expanding opportunities for them in the workforce."I believe the step we have taken regarding cabs will prove to be very useful. The number of working women in our country has been increasing significantly. A large number of women today manage their households while also pursuing their professional careers and are becoming financially independent," she said.Rahatkar said the growing participation of women in different sectors, including defence, science and technology, made it necessary to strengthen safety measures to ensure that they could work without fear."Women are working across all sectors, and there is virtually no field where they are not present. They are serving in the defence sector and doing excellent work as scientists," she said.Pointing to the increasing participation of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics , she said a large number of girls pursuing higher education would enter the workforce in the coming years.She also referred to the four Labour Codes, saying they provide several rights to women and reflect the changing requirements of the workforce.Rahatkar said the responsibility of ensuring women on night shifts safety rests with their respective organisations."The Labour Codes now allow women to work night shifts, with the responsibility for ensuring their safety resting with their respective organisations. Several such changes are taking place," she said.She said the NCW felt the need to take additional measures to protect women as more of them step out of their homes for work and increasingly depend on app-based cabs and other modes of transport for commuting."It is extremely important that women feel safe while travelling so that they can work without fear and with confidence," she said.Rahatkar stressed that women should not have to remain preoccupied with concerns about their personal safety at the cost of their professional growth."Women should not have to constantly worry about their personal safety. They should be able to focus more on their work and careers. If they are continually preoccupied with concerns about their safety, they may not be able to perform to their full potential," she said.Expressing confidence in the commission's recommendations, she said they would be given due consideration and implemented effectively."I am confident that the efforts we have made will prove very effective. These recommendations will be given due consideration, and I am hopeful that they will be implemented effectively," Rahatkar added.This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.