The Uttar Pradesh State Women Commission has proposed a set of measures aimed at enhancing women’s safety in public and commercial spaces. These measures include barring male tailors from taking women’s measurements, limiting men from training women in gyms and yoga sessions, and hiring female security personnel on school buses and female staff in women’s clothing stores. These suggestions were discussed in a recent commission meeting in Lucknow as preliminary ideas for improving women’s security, with feasibility assessments and approvals still pending, according to Maneesha Ahlawat, a commission member.
In Shamli district, probation officer Hamid Hussain has proactively directed establishments to start implementing some of these safety measures. For instance, gyms, drama, and yoga centers are being asked to employ female trainers for women and to install CCTV systems with DVR capabilities for better monitoring. School buses are also required to have female security personnel or teachers onboard, while boutiques must employ female tailors to assist women and have CCTV monitoring in place. Additionally, coaching centers must now have CCTV surveillance and proper restroom facilities for women, and stores selling women’s clothing are encouraged to employ female staff for assistance.
Social worker Veena Agrawal has supported these steps, noting that they can create a safer and more supportive environment for women in public spaces.
In a similar initiative, Haryana police recently launched a real-time location-tracking feature on WhatsApp as part of their Emergency Response Support System. This tool, overseen by DGP Shatrujeet Kapur, allows women—particularly those traveling alone at night—to share their live location with the police for added security. The feature aims to improve safety for women in Haryana and Gurgaon and was introduced after discussions on a trip monitoring system for women in Gurgaon.
