97% Of Girls Sexually Harassed, Says A New Survey

If you happen to hear an urgent whistle while walking down the road, don’t ignore it thinking it’s just a building watchman shooing away cars parked in front of the gate. It could be a girl in distress. Five students of Haji Ali-based Lala Lajpatrai College are distributing whistles and information on sexual harassment as part of a campaign called “Ab Main Ek Bajaoon”. The campaign followed a survey the girls conducted in which they found that 97 per cent of the 6,000 women who were interviewed had experienced some form of sexual harassment. The survey also found that most girls did not react when they were molested as they were scared and didn’t know which helpline to call.

The alarming research is supported by statistics that were released earlier this year by the National Crime Records Bureau. While Delhi continues to have the dubious distinction of being India’s rape capital with 568 cases registered in 2011, Mumbai was second with 218 cases. But that’s nothing to write home about as the number of cases had increased from 192 in 2010. If the college survey is any indication, Mumbai is inching towards Delhi. Let’s hope this is one competition Mumbai doesn’t win.

97% girls sexually harassed: Survey [The Times of India]