UP Women's Commission Chief Tells Arnab Reason Behind Her Controversial Order On Bad Touch

Luckw: Men should t take women's measurements at tailor shops, should t cut a woman's hair or train her in gym eir - se are some of remedies proposed by Uttar Presh State Women Commission to protect women and stymie ill intentions of men.

However, speaking to Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami , Babita Chauhan Chairperson, Uttar Presh Women’s Commission said, " document (that we have created) doesn't even mention haircuts. I have proposed amends for beauty parlours. Earlier, make-up artists used to be women but w, since last one to two years, men have started working re, as a trend."

Chauhan furr said, "I feel men who dress up women can't drape sarees and lehengas better than women. It is t India's culture and trition."

Chauhan told Arnab, "re should be women trainers too in gym apart from men trainers. re are several women who get trained by male trainers for lack of option of female trainers. Also, speaking of male tailors, women who are comfortable getting ir clos stitched from m must continue doing so but y should proivde ir body measurements to women tailors."

rical raft of suggestions, which also include installing CCTVs in gyms, cloth stores and coaching centres, and having a woman for security in school buses, followed a meeting held on October 28.

commission said it has sent letters on guidelines, which aim at segregating men and women in public s, to all district magistrates in state to ensure compliance on matter.

A functionary of panel said this is just a proposal and it will subsequently request state government to implement m by enacting a law.

"re have been increasing complaints of 'b touch' by male trainers in gyms and in women's boutiques where tailors who take measurements are mostly male," Chauhan, chairperson of commission, told PTI.

"What we are saying is that it isn't a problem if tailor is male but only women should take measurements," she said.

In a press te, women's panel proposed that women's gyms and yoga centres should only have female trainers. gym and trainers should be verified, while CCTV and DVRs at establishments should mandatorily be in working condition, it said.

It said boutiques should have a female tailor to take women's measurements for clos, with a functioning CCTV at store. Shops selling women's clos are required to have female employees, it said.

It is mandatory to have a female dance teacher at drama centres and a female security guard or teacher in school buses, guidelines ded.

Chauhan said, "We are aware that trained women will have to be employed at all se places and this might take some time." However, it would also help employ more women, she ded.

panel's proposals have ignited a debate with many wondering if inste of "isolating men", focus should be on "empowering women." "re is a difference between sensitising men and isolating m," Luckw-based Niti, who works on women issues, told PTI.

"re is thing wrong with proposals per se because re is always or side but point is if you were to push it too far, n one could also argue that you may well ask for women teachers to teach reproductive systems to girl students. n re are many male gynecologists who are very good and so what do we do m? So, as long as you don't force decision on women and leave it to m to make a choice whose service y prefer or are more comfortable with, it's fine," she said.

Later, when PTI approached Babita Chauhan on her take on responses her contentious proposal h generated, she said her suggestions weren't aimed at forcing anyone to take services from any particular .

"I am t telling women that you take services at gyms or at boutiques only from women. What I am saying is that I am all for providing options and leave it to women to make choice about wher she is more comfortable having men around or women.

" point is those women who prefer taking se services from men at a gym, boutique or salon are t ones who are approaching us with ir complaints. Those approaching us are t comfortable, complain of 'b touch' and should have an option," she said.

Asked if her proposals have been implemented anywhere across state, Chauhan said, "We are in process of identifying wher our proposals have reached all district magistrates. We have also sent our proposals to chief secretary and so yes, it is government which would implement m." Himani Agarwal, a member of commission, said proposal floated by Chauhan on October 28 was accepted by panel.

Explaining rationale behind proposal, she told PTI involvement of men in such professions can le to women getting molested.

"y (men) try to indulge in b touch. intention of some of men is also t good," she said, ding, "t that all men have b intentions".

Samajwi Party MLA Ragini Sonkar was of opinion that it should be left to individuals to decide which store or gym y want to go to.

"I don't think this is a justified decision as it should be an individual choice on wher one prefers a male or a female to attend to m. It is a matter of choice," said MLA from Machhlishahr in Jaunpur district.

"We are okay with proposal about women's presence being mandatory at shops selling women's garments and at tailoring shops. But n, ultimately, it boils down to individual choice and this can't be limited to a particular sex," Sonkar told PTI.

Former acting VC of Luckw University, teacher and activist Roop Rekha Verma, said, "re cant be a more stupid idea than this, because what is required is to create psychology in minds of public that we are t so different and so exclusive human beings as we are seen by each or.

"We are human beings and citizens in same sense, and refore this ghettoisation that women will speak to women, women will cut hair of women, this sort of exclusive separation between boys and girls is main cause of whatever is happening today in country." Mhu Garg, national joint secretary of AIDWA (All India Democratic Women's Association), said, "This is t correct thought process, and this is done by those people who are having a narrow-minded thought process. By doing so, jobs of hundreds of people will be at risk of getting lost." "Generally, it is seen that women mselves give ir measurements to tailors. This is t a big issue. If (UP State) Women Commission wants to do anything, n it should stop rape and murder of women. y are unable to do anything about this, and are speaking like this on petty issues." However, social workers Veena Sharma and Mohsina Choudhary welcomed proposal, saying re are many complaints of women being harassed while giving measurements at tailor shops. y said that proposal should be law.

Sharma is Muzaffarnagar district coordinator of Mission Shakti -- a government women empowerment initiative, while Choudhary was earlier a member of Child Welfare Board in district.

He of Kiran Sewa Samaj Uthan committee Ravita Dhagne in Muzaffarnagar also agreed with m.

Supriya Kohli, who runs a boutique at Luckw's Prag Narain Ro, said, "Usually re aren't any objections on issue of who is taking measurements but we do have women to take measurements if client demands it. re is thing wrong with move per se." (with PTI inputs)