#Trending: In An Attempt To Make The Streets Safer And More Inclusive For Women, Aditya Thackeray Makes Traffic Signals To Also Depict Women. Is This Really Enough?

Do you think the streets are safe for women? Do you think you could venture out into the night without even a shred of fear? I don’t think so. Just the other, I stepped out after a while and I had this lump in my throat once I saw just how deserted my lane was. The streets of Mumbai might be safer than other cities but horrifying incidents happen here as well. I don’t think I have ever met a woman who has not been catcalled, groped, leered at or even followed. I think making the streets safer for women would solve a lot of problems but it’s a problem with no immediate solution. 

To combat this problem and to promote gender equality and inclusivity, Shiv Sena’s Aditya Thackrey has taken the first small step and made a change. He had added images of women pedestrians on traffic signals and signages. I know it doesn’t seem like much but it is the first step at bigger representation and we will take it. 

Aditya is the son of Maharashtra CM Udhav Thackrey and he seems to be on a mission to make the streets safer for women. It’s just awesome to see someone taking this issue up. 

Applauding the effort of @mybmcWardGN Assistant Commissioner @DighavkarKiran ji on this.
Thank you MLA @misadasarvankar ji, @mayor_mumbai @KishoriPednekar ji and MC Chahal ji for your support!

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 1, 2020

The new signs have been put up by the BMC and Aditya took to Twitter to share pictures. He wrote, “If you’ve passed by Dadar, you’d see something that will make you feel proud. @mybmcWardGN is ensuring gender equality with a simple idea- the signals now have women too!”  

Of course, a lot of netizens showered him with praise but there were a lot who were slightly sceptical about this. And if I am being honest, I am slightly sceptical as well. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a brilliant idea. So simple with a strong message. But, if you want to make the streets safer for women, I don’t think changing street signs to depict women is going to do much. It’s not going to stop goons from flashing or even molesting a woman who is travelling all by herself or following her home or groping her on the same traffic signal. 

If this is the first of many steps, it’s amazing. But if it’s just this then I highly doubt it’s enough. Our priority is to make to the streets better and safer for women. Changing traffic signals to show women may show inclusivity but ask yourself if it’s going to make you feel safer out there? 

Also Read: #Inspiration: An All-Women Police Patrol Unit Has Been Flagged off In Noida To Ensure Women’s Safety In Public Places. What A Great Move!

Check out some of the mixed reactions Twitter had to this new initiative:

https://twitter.com/_TheIndian_Guy/status/1289654698270535681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1289654698270535681%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news18.com%2Fnews%2Fbuzz%2Faditya-thackeray-puts-women-on-mumbai-traffic-lights-for-gender-equality-leaves-twitter-divided-2751537.html

Really nice, Aditya.

This is a pathbreaking contribution to women empowerment. Now, women will not be scared to cross the road. They'll feel welcome because, until now, crossing the road was male privilege. https://t.co/fgMx8CdnHh

— Kartikeya Tanna (@KartikeyaTanna) August 1, 2020

Wow women must feel so empowered now! https://t.co/7c6HutN3wt

— Ashmit Dyes (@AshmitDyes) August 2, 2020

My dude, I know you mean well, but we just want men to stop sexually assaulting and killing us, and not get away if they do. https://t.co/LssbQM73By

— Anushka (@Anushkannot) August 1, 2020

That's definitely one welcome change ! Good to see this young leader proving to be better than our expectations :D@AUThackeray @mybmc https://t.co/ltYH0EKmgE

— Avin Jain (@Avin982) August 1, 2020

Sometimes small changes have a ripple effect and turn into something huge. Let’s hope this is one of those changes. Having said that, we have to commend Aditya Thackeray on this new initiative. We can’t wait to see what the young political leader comes up with next.

https://thehauterfly.com/culture-2/voices-22-5-lakh-women-in-haryana-to-get-free-sanitary-napkins-for-a-year-accessibility-is-the-first-step-towards-empowerment/