March for women’s safety held in Thane

About 30 to 40 Catholic Sabha members took part in the march on Sunday morning

The Bombay Catholic Sabha (Thane) organised a march on Sunday morning calling for improved security for women in the area and beyond. The event was in response to a spate in incidents of violence against women reported in the Mumbai-Thane region.

The march, which lasted about 45 minutes, began at St Lawrence Church in D'souza Wadi and concluded at the Mulund-Thane toll plaza on LBS Road. Approximately 30 to 40 members of the Catholic Sabha participated in the march. Several women who took part in the march expressed their disapproval of the lack of civic infrastructure in their areas, which they said contributes to their discomfort in public places.

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Dreena D'souza, a resident of Wagle Estate and one of the participants, said, "One of the alarming problems in this area is the lack of commuting options. There are multiple industries here, and many working women travel."

Another participant, Elisha Olivera, who completed Std XII this year, said, "The lack of streetlights in some areas is a big problem. It can make women very uncomfortable. I take long routes to avoid certain dimly lit localities." She also suggested that increased police presence near bus stops late at night would make the streets safer. "We all have stories of bad experiences with men on buses or trains. Some police presence around bus stops at night could help," she added.

However, D'souza noted that the attitude of the police toward victims is far from ideal. "I have seen people trying to report domestic abuse, but the police are hesitant to note it down. Instead, they act as middlemen and ask the victim and the perpetrator to sort it out among themselves," she said.

Wency Michael, a resident of Srinagar in Thane, said incidents of harassment are very common on buses. "Everyone around keeps quiet when such incidents happen in public transport, but people need to start intervening," she said. All three participants emphasised that civic facilities like proper toilets, safe commuting options, adequate street lighting and surveillance cameras could help deter "everyday cases of harassment against women that are unreported".