pEtE maatu: Panel Discussion "Is Bengaluru Women-Friendly"

By JF on Saturday, December 11, 2010 - 15:41

Do you return home from work after dark every day and use a bus to get back? Have you worried just because it’s after dark -- crowded BMTC buses, or inadequate Volvo services after 7pm? Have you been reluctant to get into an auto? Even if you use your own vehicle, do you worry about select stretches of unlit roads? Have you had trouble using subways at night, always rushing through them, feeling extra worried just because you are woman? Or if you are a spouse, have you had the nagging feeling that your wife or daughter might be risking too much by returning home late?

If any of this has bothered you, and you feel as a Bangalorean that the city needs to accommodate girls and women better, then join us at this panel discussion.

Citizen Matters and JustFemme present

"Is Bengaluru women-friendly?"

Date: Dec 18, 2010

Time: 4pm to 5.30pm

Venue: NGMA, No. 49, Manikyavelu Mansion, Palace Road,  Bangalore-560 052

The Bangalorean panelists

Prakash Belawadi,a well-known journalist, theatre enthusiast and a filmmaker from Bengaluru. "Among the most significant markers of a civilised society is that it is conscious and sensible to the female half of itself", he says. Earlier this year, he ran for a Bengauru city council seat on the Lok Satta party ticket.

Mithila Jha, an Urban Planner, currently working with BMTC. Over the past two years, she has been involved in projects seeking to popularise the Volvo bus services. She holds a Masters degree in Urban Planning from MIT, Cambridge, USA. Her interests are in marketing public transport and make it more accessible and user friendly. 

C K Meena, a  long-time Bangalorean, known for witty columns on life in Bengaluru's ever-changing cityscape, has written two books of fiction - the semi-autobiographical Black Lentil Doughnuts and the crime thriller Dreams for
the Dying.

Deepika Nagabushan, a freelance photographer who likes to capture people and stories. As an active member of Bangalore Photography Club she was recently involved with Frames of Mind 2010, a photo exhibition. She is
a marketing communication professional working with Schneider Electric.

Suneel Kumar (IPS), is Additional Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) for Bangalore. He will speak from the vantage of the state police and law enforcement.

Siri Srinivas, a gen-next sharpie, born and raised in Bengaluru, an engineer and working at a global financial major in the city.

Moderator

Vasanthi Hariprakash, is presently Special Correspondent at NDTV's Bangalore bureau and an award winning RJ and journalist. She has 16 years of media experience that spans across print, radio, online and visual media. 

The panelists will be asked by the moderator to respond with their views on whether the city is friendly or not for women and why, from three vantage points: Transport, public spaces and the 'local vs outsider' factor.