The increasing violence against women across the country has raised a question mark on the issue of women’s security in the city and on the response of the police and security personnel to cases of violence. In this context, the Dept. cum Centre for Women’s Studies and Development is organising ten-day gender sensitisation workshop/s for security personnel of Panjab University from January 28, 2013 to February 7, 2013. The Department through these workshops seeks to sensitise the security persons to issues of gender and causes and consequences of violence against women through interactive sessions and role plays by the students.
The workshops were inaugurated by the DUI Prof. R. K. Kohli, who in his address emphasised the significance of sensitising the security persons to the issue. He observed that sometimes the immediate response and sensitivity to the problem is not forthcoming from the security people. They need to be oriented to be polite and attend to the complaints immediately. Mr. P. K. Dhawan, Chief Security officer, highlighted the recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee. Also present on the occasion were Mr. Shiv Lal Yadav and Mr. Ashok Kumar Gautam, Security Officers of the Panjab University.
The workshops are being organised with a view to create a violence free campus. Students through various role plays highlighted the major areas where eve teasing is a problem and also attempted to bring out the lacunae in the handling of the complaints. The security persons put forth their problems and recommended numerous strategies which would enable them to handle the problems more effectively.