Even women cops not safe on Gurgaon roads

GURGAON: When it comes to sexual harassment, women donning the uniform seem to be in the same boat as ordinary women. Policewomen say they have been victims of lewd comments, ogling or even groping while standing in a crowd during security arrangements. Women police constables told TOI that whether the area in question is urban or rural it doesn’t make a big difference to the policewomen’s situation.
“We prefer standing either in a group or alongside our male colleagues since mischief-mongers do not differentiate between a woman in uniform and an ordinary woman. Crowded areas are the worst as people would deliberately get too close to us while passing by,” said a young woman constable, posted in the old city area.
With an increasing number of cases involving women in drunk driving cases, women constables were deployed at various checkposts to deal with them. These young women cops face passersby making lewd comments at them. “As young girls we used to be afraid of such people back in our villages but now this uniform gives us the strength to fight back without fear. However, one cannot rule out the possibility of such men turning violent by returning to us with guns or acid since our fixed posting makes us easy targets,” another woman constable said.
Jaskiran Kaur, an assistant commander of the women commandos team with the CRPF, said that no one could dare to mess with her. “My family has been supportive and I have always been taught to stand up for myself against any misdeeds. My uniform (and body language) is anyway a deterrent for such miscreants. However, in civil dress, I know I have to be more responsible before I promptly react to a situation,” she explained.