Several women students of Delhi University took out a midnight protest march on late Tuesday against the alleged gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl on a bus she boarded in Greater Noida, demanding safer public spaces for women while opposing restrictions on their freedom.
The march, organised by the Students' Federation of India (SFI) under its 'Reclaim the Night' campaign, also saw the release of the organisation's Women Students' Manifesto ahead of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections.
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The midnight march came amid outrage over the alleged gang-rape of the 16-year-old girl on a bus she boarded in Greater Noida.
The manifesto puts women's safety, representation and gender justice at the centre of its demands. Among other measures, it calls for voting rights for students of all women's colleges in DUSU elections and 50% reservation for women in the union's office-bearer positions.
The SFI has also sought safe and affordable women's hostels without discriminatory curfews, functional Internal Complaints Committees with student representation, and accessible menstrual hygiene facilities across university campuses.
The manifesto further calls for stronger emergency support systems, the deployment of women police personnel on campuses, and an end to moral policing and gender-based harassment.
It also seeks 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. They opposed restrictions that require women students to remain indoors after dark, arguing that safer public spaces should not be created by limiting women's mobility.
