In A First, Bengaluru Local Authorities Deploy Women Marshals To Enforce COVID 19 Rules In The City
For generations, women were never encouraged to work outside their homes. Cooking, cleaning, bearing and raising children and catering to their husbands every whim and fancy. This was their entire life. And if by chance, a woman was permitted to work she was told to enter a profession that was traditionally deemed “girly” like teaching or being a nurse. This is the reason that today the gender gap is so wide. However, times have changed and women are slowly being inducted into professions that are usually testosterone-fuelled. A recent example of this is that in a first, local authorities of Bengaluru have trained and deployed a few women marshals for COVID 19 related duties. Better late than never, right?
Bengaluru’s civic body, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has trained and deployed 11 women marshals, on an experimental basis, to enforce COVID 19 norms in the city and help out at healthcare centres. Since the beginning of the pandemic last year, 230 male marshals have been deployed to ensure people follow COVID 19 safety protocols. This is the very first time this job has been entrusted to women.
Col Rajbir Singh, chief marshal officer, BBMP told The Indian Express, “We have hired 11 BBMP women marshals for the first time on an experimental basis. They have undergone similar training as male marshals and will be deployed at select maternity homes, Covid care centres, triaging and stabilisation centres in the city.”
The BBMP is also planning to deploy women marshals for ground duties such as collecting fines from people violating COVID norms and spreading awareness. Rajbir Singh said, “This is the first time in the country women marshals have been deployed for Covid-related duties. In Delhi, there are women marshals deployed on buses and other public transport for the safety of women while travelling.” Further adding, “We are starting to see how women marshals can help the city civic body to curb the spread of the virus on a trial basis.”
#Bengaluru | BBMP is also planning to deploy women marshals on ground duty to collect fines from people violating norms, and create awareness about Covid appropriate behaviour.@DarshanDevaiahB reportshttps://t.co/GVkR2Ctox6
— Express South (@IExpressSouth) May 26, 2021
Also Read: This Woman In Kerala Has Volunteered To Drive An Autorickshaw Ambulance Amid The COVID Crisis
25-year-old Bhavani KG, one of the 11 women marshals deployed at a care centre said that she applied for this job as she always wanted to help people. At the COVID centre, she collects patient data, checks their symptoms, advises them and refers them to doctors and nurses based on the severity of their condition.
Another marshal, Jayothi, who is working in Wilson Garden Covid care centre said, “I am proud that I am one of the first batch of women marshals in Bengaluru. We have received proper training from the BBMP to deal with people and help them in the Covid care centre.”
While it’s amazing that women are finally getting a chance to prove their mettle, I have a slight problem with the fact that the BBMP putting these women marshals through an experimental phase despite them getting similar training as the male marshals. I don’t see the need for an experiment. Especially since it has been proven time and time again that women can do everything a man can. Why do women have to prove themselves over and over again?
Anyway, I absolutely love this initiative and I believe that the entire country would benefit if women marshals were deployed in every state to enforce COVID appropriate behaviour. More power to these women!
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