Have you seen women simply loiter at junctions or hang out around shops or roadside vendors or even parks the way men do? More often than not, it’s men who can safely occupy public spaces.

The South East division police want to change that and they have started working on a social project that will create safe areas for women. The police have tied up with the city non-government organisation to create “safe hangouts exclusively for women” for a few hours during the day. Senior police officials pointed out that while Bengaluru is expanding rapidly, there are more men than women occupying public spaces, perhaps because of security reasons.

“We are in the process of identifying around eight places in the south east division where women are generally not present. We will find out why and explore possible solutions. After fixing the required infrastructural issues, women from different age groups and all professions will be invited to come spend a couple of hours there,” Isha Pant, DCP (South East) said.

For instance, when men return from work, they have more options available to go unlike women. The idea is to make women feel safe and comfortable in public places. The police are also planning to set up sustainable business points at these hangouts wherever possible. They could be florists, vegetable vendors, etc. “We are also planning to organise cultural events at these places to draw more and more women participants,” DCP Pant added.

She cited the example of parks in residential areas, which are usually dominated by men, making some women uncomfortable.

The police are now working on getting the required infrastructure for these hangouts and the project is likely to be launched in mid-February. “We welcome suggestions from the public to identify such places by placing boxes where complaints can be addressed on a regular basis. Reclaiming public spaces is an important aspect of making cities safer for our women and it’s very much needed,” DCP Pant added.