Where can women be safe?

A week ago, a horrible tale of abuse unfolded from the precincts of the Bandaranaike International Airport. A young woman leaving for employment to the Middle-East was gang raped by a group of people believed to be airport security men and then bundled her into the flight unceremoniously.

She fell sick on the flight and was in a bad condition when she finally reached the destination. The employment agent at that end had promptly boarded her on the next flight and she was back home. It was because of this that a complaint was made to the Police and the Foreign Employment Bureau- not only was the woman traumatized by her terrible experience but also wasted an air ticket (for which she possibly still owes the agent) and lost her chance of employment as well.

That this kind of heinous crime could happen in a place that outwardly looks so secure and welcoming is a frightening reality. According to this woman, a security guard had approached her after she had cleared through immigration and all other formalities and was waiting to board.

Pretending that there has to be another check done the guard had asked her to follow him and taken her to a secluded room, where some others were already gathered. If the woman's account to the police is right, they had given her some drugs or sedatives to dull her senses and make her less resistant- also possibly to ensure she won't kick up a fuss afterwards.

By all means it looks as if she was not their first victim and that this may have been happening at the BIA to other unsuspecting rural women, who are flying for the first time, on their own to a strange destination. Since it happens in a strange environment, where the women are too scared to complain, or they are scared to miss their flight, this gang may have got away with many such rape crimes before.

Now that their plan finally backfired, we hope that the perpetrators are meted out the maximum possible penalty to deter any such offence in the future.

In Sri Lanka protection for women in public places, on the road, in public transport is minimal. But if you thought you are unsafe walking in the roads at night, or taking a long-distance bus alone, think again. If a place like the BIA, with all its high security, surveillance cameras and such, could be a scene of such a diabolic plan- where can women even pretend to be safe nowadays?

It is incredible, but despite the awareness and the laws women are still largely left unprotected on the streets, on buses, on trains and even while driving.

A male friend once wondered why women in Sri Lanka do not ride motorbikes and bicycles on the road. Just think about it, would any woman dare to be riding a motorbike or bicycle -exposing herself to further harassment and abuse on the road? It's bad enough when one is walking down the road, but on a two-wheeler a woman would be much more vulnerable. I had a friend who used to ride a motorbike to school- but today the conditions must have worsened a lot more, since we do not see women taking up such modes of transport.

From Chennai, India comes an interesting method of curbing sexual harassment on the streets. Women Police officers in mufti stand in various public places, bus stands, railway terminals etc, and watch for men who verbally or physically abuse female passengers. They are promptly dealt with and thrown in the lock-ups.

Being such a vast city, at least ten times the size of Colombo, Chennai has managed to instill that degree of fear of arrest in the minds of the perverts that young females can ride motorbikes along its streets until late in the night- and this should teach us.