The Uttar Pradesh State Women Commission has proposed measures to improve women’s safety, including barring male tailors from taking women’s measurements and restricting men from training women in gyms and yoga sessions.
The commission has also suggested placing female security personnel on school buses and hiring female staff in women’s clothing stores to enhance women’s security in public and commercial spaces.
The measures to enhance women’s safety were discussed in a meeting held on October 28 in Lucknow, where commission members explored various initiatives aimed at improving security for women, The Times of India reported.
“The discussions are preliminary. Feasibility of these proposals is yet to be decided. Once approved, these proposals will be submitted to the govt to draft a policy for ground-level implementation,” the report has quoted Maneesha Ahlawat, a member of the commission as saying.
However, Shamli district probation officer Hamid Hussain has directed local establishments to begin adopting new safety guidelines which include appointing female trainers or teachers in women’s gyms, drama, and yoga centers, as well as installing CCTV systems with DVR capabilities for monitoring.
Hussain said that school buses will now need to have a female security guard or teacher, and boutiques must hire female tailors for measuring women with CCTV camera surveillance in place.
Meanwhile, coaching centres in Shamli are now required to have CCTV camera surveillance and proper restroom facilities for women. Stores selling women’s clothing have been told to employ female staff for assistance.
Local social worker Veena Agrawal has supported these measures, saying they aim to improve safety and create a more supportive environment for women in public and commercial spaces across the state.
In September, Haryana police introduced a real-time tracking feature on WhatsApp as part of the state’s Emergency Response Support System.
This initiative, reviewed by DGP Shatrujeet Kapur, allows women, especially those traveling alone at night, to share their live location with police in Haryana and Gurgaon for enhanced safety. The feature was launched following a meeting discussing a trip monitoring system for women in Gurgaon.