by Niamh ODonoghue
19th Jan 2017
19th Jan 2017
Sitting 15 rows in front of your husband or boyfriend on airlines may soon?be a real thing after it was announced this week that Air India will?introduce a ‘women-only’ section as a way to tackle the increasing number of attacks on women in public.
This will be the first time ever that a country has taken this type of action against assault, and from January 18th,?female passengers will be given the option to purchase tickets in a small ‘women-only’ row of seats on every domestic flight.
According to reports in The Hindu,?Air India chairman and managing director Ashwani Lohani believes that this is a positive step forward for women (we’re not sure in what universe), but other airline officials are not in favour of the move.
In the past, other countries have implemented similar rules on public transport, but they were short-lived. Not to mention it’s a step backwards for the work of every feminist ever.
It was last year in London that Jeremy Corbyn suggested women-only?carriages on the tube as a measure to tackle public harassment. But the idea didn’t float too well with the public and parliament, and many people claimed the move was a sign of defeat against female public harassment. And so the proposal was dismissed.
But there has to be a better solution to the problem than segregation. The idea sounds like it was retracted from the 1900’s era, than a modern approach to tackling an ageing and growing problem among female civilians.
If ‘women-only’ sections on public transport are to become the norm, would you be encouraged to use it? Furthermore, would it make you feel safer?
To us, the idea is impractical, outdated, and out of touch with our evolving society.
So Air India, rather than taking women out of the equation, why not educate and encourage men’to respect and treat women with the dignity and respect they deserve.