DELHI WOMEN SEEK OUTSIDE JOBS

SAFETY MAJOR ISSUE

Citing lack of safety concerns, around 43 per cent of working in Delhi are willing to relocate outside the city even at the cost of a pay cut, according to a recent study. The survey conducted by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry included working women, students and job aspirants, who all said that women are exposed to unsafe environment in Delhi. The survey "Women Safety in Delhi: Issues and Challenges to Employment" is based on feedback of 3,400 women in Delhi. "In light of the recent incidents which took place in Delhi, around 43 per cent of the outside working women respondents unanimously felt that they are looking for a job out of Delhi in other safe places preferably in cities nearby their native towns as Delhi has become unsafe for women. They are ready to compromise on their earnings for the safety," the survey said. It found that working women are inclined to work in day shifts with nearly 80 per cent of the respondents opting for day shifts. Further, about 9 per cent said that they work in flexible shift timings and nearly 7 per cent opted for rotational shifts as they said it helped them in maintaining balance between their personal and professional responsibilities. A very small proportion of women respondents (4 per cent) worked in nights shifts. Around 64 per cent of working women said that crimes against women had impacted their productivity as they now hesitate stay in their workplaces till late hours. 
A majority of women respondents, 65 per cent depended on public transport to commute to their destinations. Most respondents suggested increasing the operational hours of the Delhi Metro as well as tracking through aerial surveillance and helicopters as followed by other developed countries. The survey observed that the traffic police could play a major role in providing safety to the women in Delhi. Further, majority of respondents opined that Delhi police should be pro active in taking immediate action in emergency in order to check anti social elements. A large share of respondents opined that fast tracking courts to address victims' problems and ensuring safer public transport provisions are a very important step towards women's safety in the national capital. As per the survey lack of sufficient and well functioning public services such as street lights, public toilets have also exposed women to unsafe environment in Delhi as many parts of the city suffers with inadequate public services which contributes to the fear of violence in public spaces. Further women respondents opined that these conditions are likely to affect working women severely while commuting to their workplaces. "There is a need that government as well as organisations should adopt some effective measures to ensure safety and security of women in Delhi going ahead. "Stringent efforts should be enforced by the government in terms of widespread measures of women's safety, awareness campaigns among public, self-defence programs for women," it said.