Jain (Deemed-to-be University), School of Humanities and Social Sciences in association with Centre for Research in Social Sciences and Education (CERSSE) and the Women's Regional Network (WRN) - a network of women civil society leaders working together to advance women's rights and regional peace organized a panel discussion on “Safe Places for Women in the City: Myth or Reality”. The Panelists of the session were Dr. Rohini Katoch Sepat, IPS, District Commissioner of Police (DCP) South, Prof. V.S. Elizabeth, National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Dr. Sudeshna Mukherjee, Head of Department, Gender Studies, Bangalore University, and Mr. Vinay Chandran, Human Rights Activist, Counselor, and Writer. The Panel was chaired by Dr. Priyanca Mathur Velath, Associate Professor, CERSSE, and an associate Member of WRN. It was attended by over 60 students, research scholars, and professors from all over Bangalore.
The discussion emphasized the concepts of Women, Peace, and Security and to take it beyond zones of armed conflict and recognize the difference between negative peace and positive peace. The discussion was also related to our everyday living and insecurities and the latent conflicts in so-called peaceful societies. The speakers spoke of the problems that women and people of all genders face in their daily lives in the city and how to work together to ensure better safety standards. There was a discussion on the pros and cons of gender-sensitization, patriarchy and the need for a larger acceptance of the problems of people particularly of alternative sexual identities living in cities.
