Creating a safe environment for women

When imagining the problem of sexual harassment in the Auroville context, it can be easy to pin this on an exterior “other”, with the perpetrators perceived as being ill-mannered day trippers or guests who are drawn to the unusual prospect of seeing multi-ethnic women moving about their daily lives in tropical South India. And while other forms of sexual harassment, whether in the work context or in the complex multicultural social fabric of Auroville, have certainly also been identified, stories of women of all ages and nationalities being harassed by unknown men along Auroville’s roads and shaded bicycle paths continue to periodically surface on Auronet, the community’s intranet. 

According to Samuel from the Auroville Safety and Security Team (AVSST), there were 19 cases of reported sexual harassment within Auroville this past year. “Unfortunately, this number doesn’t reflect the reality of the emotional impact sexual harassment has, nor the specific situations,” headds. 

The good news is that this number has decreased in the last three years, and this can be attributed to the concerted efforts of AVSST to monitor the entrances into Auroville, patrol the roads, and offer escort for women travelling after dark. 

A whole team to keep the roads safe

With the increasing traffic of people wanting to enter Auroville and the more than 24 access points into the international township, ensuring a safe environment on the roads and paths is a major effort requiring a team of almost 40 individuals, including 26 guards as well as managers and office staff, emergency phone staff, and voluntary patrollers. 

It is not an easy job for them. The guards often face aggression from drivers who are stopped from entering Auroville, but it is a price that the team is willing to pay for better safety within the community. “We don’t want to focus on catching people, we want to focus on prevention,” Samuel explains. 

When a case of sexual harassment is reported, the team rearranges security to make the area where it occurred more secure. But Samuel states that there is no part of Auroville that is less safe than the rest, because whenever an incident occurs, the team immediately reacts. Descriptions of repeated aggressors are circulated within the community and AVSST liaises with the police to support apprehension.

AVSST has also promoted a system of escorts, especially for women travelling around at night. However, they encourage individuals to first ask someone to accompany them from among their family and close friends before depending upon AVSST, so as to reinforce their own personal support networks. “But don’t bicycle alone at night,” Samuel urges. “Women are more likely to be harassed while bicycling or walking than while driving a motorbike. And while a man may look to see where a woman is going on her motorbike or come close to speak her, with a cycle there is more potential for him to physically attempt something.”

Involving local law enforcement

As the bulk of the incidents of sexual harassment reported to AVSST involve culprits who are not part of the Auroville community, the intercession of the Indian law enforcement is sometimes necessary. Going to the police can also be an option for victims of more severe forms of sexual harassment or sexual assault, regardless of who the aggressor is. “We work on an emergency basis, solving problems on the spot, then directing the person toward the correct entity. For most road harassments, we ask people to go to the police. Not everyone goes, but if it is a case of groping or more, we strongly encourage them to go,” Samuel explains. The AVSST also tries to offer a safe space with female team members so that the victims can express themselves.

Few women ultimately go to the police station though, not wanting to go through the additional distress of having to relive their trauma by reporting the case to police officers who – for all their ability to intercede – may be the same gender as the aggressor and may not know how to sensitively investigate traumatic experiences. However, the AVSST still encourages women to file a police complaint whenever possible for cases of sexual  harassment, as this can greatly expedite the apprehension of the culprit. 

Auroville is fortunate to have an All-Women Police Station in close proximity, in Kottakuppam on the outskirts of Pondicherry. Staffed only by female police officers, India’s All-Women Police Stations have been around since the first was inaugurated in Kozhikode in 1973 by Indira Gandhi. These stations provide a safe environment for women to report crimes, particularly those of sexual harassment and assault, dowry-related cases and domestic violence.

Inspector of Police Ms. Muthulakshmi is the current head of the Kottakuppam station and has handled a complaint of sexual harassment in Auroville. “It is very important to have these All-Women Police Stations. Nowadays, there is an increased reporting of crimes against women,” she explains. “We have a district training centre where we are taught how to handle the victim and how to lead the cases.” She describes how, whenever they receive a complaint of sexual harassment, they proceed with an enquiry to register the first information report (FIR), arrange a medical examination if needed, and track down the accused for arrest. 

What more can be done?

AVSST’s tighter security has resulted in the number of reported cases of sexual harassment being on the decline, and relations with the local law enforcement have allowed for better follow-up on the reported cases. But Samuel still sees more that could be improved. 

In his capacity as a capoeira instructor for youth in Auroville, Samuel has a unique opportunity to hear the thoughts and concerns of the children of Auroville. He points to the role the parents need to play by making sure that their children are not in position where they need to go home alone at night or take lifts from strangers. But he also observes that the problem can come from within the community and says, “A lot of preventive education needs to be done in Auroville, particularly to talk with teenagers and to impart to them how to defend themselves and how to deal with pressure from those close to them.”