New Delhi, India (PTI): Several Delhi University women students took out a midnight protest march against the alleged gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl on a bus she boarded in Greater Noida and demanded safer public spaces for women.
The late Tuesday night march, organised by the Students' Federation of India (SFI) under its 'Reclaim the Night' campaign, also saw the release of the outfit's Women Students' Manifesto ahead of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections.
The manifesto placed women's safety, representation and gender justice at the centre of its demands, calling for voting rights for all women's colleges in DUSU elections and 50 per cent reservation for women in the union's office-bearer positions.
The SFI sought safe and affordable women's hostels without discriminatory curfews, functional Internal Complaints Committees with student representation, and accessible menstrual hygiene facilities on campuses.
The student organisation also demanded stronger emergency support systems, deployment of women police personnel on campuses and an end to moral policing and gender-based harassment.
The manifesto called for measures to prevent women students from dropping out, greater access to scholarships and fellowships, gender-sensitive curricula and regular independent safety audits across Delhi University campuses.
The protesters said women's safety should not come at the cost of their freedom and opposed restrictions that require women students to remain indoors after dark.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
