Gender trouble: Pedestrian bridges abandoned to eve-teasers
Students of Kinnaird and Lahore College complain of harassment on bridges.
LAHORE:
Many students of the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) and Kinnaird College have stopped using the overhead pedestrian bridges outside their schools because they fear being harassed by men who hang out there.
The bridges on Jail Road were built a couple of years ago after an LCWU student was run over and killed while crossing the road outside the university. They were built to give students a safe way to cross the road when leaving school.
But they have ended up becoming places where boys come to meet girls, whether they are welcome or not.
LCWU student Alia recounted an incident two weeks ago when a boy from Punjab College stopped her on the bridge and insisted on giving her his phone number. “I kept asking him to leave me alone. Eventually another man came and helped me get rid of him,” she said.
Another student said that she was crossing the bridge when one of a group of three boys deliberately crashed into her, knocking her to the ground. She said that she had complained to the administration a couple of times.
A Kinnaird College student said that few students used the overhead bridge because of the fear of being harassed. She said that being teased by boys was an ever-present threat once a student exited the college gates.
LCWU chief proctor Surayya Ahmad told The Express Tribune that at least two students had even been mugged on the bridge. One was deprived of her purse a few months ago and the other of her mobile phone. She said many college boys came to the campus at 12pm and 2pm, when large numbers of girls leave the school, to exchange phone numbers.
She said that the university had deployed a guard at the bridge, but he had gotten beaten up on several occasions. “We have conveyed our concerns to the police but to no avail,” she added.
Civil Lines Superintendent of Police Umer Saeed Malik denied this, saying no complaints had been received from Lahore College. He said that if they received a complaint in writing, they would assess the problem and decide what measures need to be taken.
Col (r) Arune Pervez, who is in charge of security at Kinnaird, said that the college could not do anything about what happened off campus. He said they called the police whenever they received a complaint from a student about harassment on the overhead bridge.
An officer at Shadman police station, which has jurisdiction over the bridge, said that they had last received a harassment complaint from Kinnaird a month ago, but before police got to the scene, the boys had fled. He said that Shadman police were very busy and couldn’t spare any personnel to deploy at the bridge.
Israr Saeed, director of traffic engineering, said that four guards had been deployed at each of the pedestrian bridges, “otherwise the place would have been a no-go area for girls”. He added that there was only so much the police could do. “The city is full of eve teasers so we can’t ensure one hundred per cent protection,” he said.
A guard deployed at one of the bridges said that they chased away groups of loiterers when they came across them. They said that the girls were not always unwelcoming of the male attention. “We can’t do anything if the girls call the boys themselves here,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2011.
Many students of the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) and Kinnaird College have stopped using the overhead pedestrian bridges outside their schools because they fear being harassed by men who hang out there.
The bridges on Jail Road were built a couple of years ago after an LCWU student was run over and killed while crossing the road outside the university. They were built to give students a safe way to cross the road when leaving school.
But they have ended up becoming places where boys come to meet girls, whether they are welcome or not.
LCWU student Alia recounted an incident two weeks ago when a boy from Punjab College stopped her on the bridge and insisted on giving her his phone number. “I kept asking him to leave me alone. Eventually another man came and helped me get rid of him,” she said.
Another student said that she was crossing the bridge when one of a group of three boys deliberately crashed into her, knocking her to the ground. She said that she had complained to the administration a couple of times.
A Kinnaird College student said that few students used the overhead bridge because of the fear of being harassed. She said that being teased by boys was an ever-present threat once a student exited the college gates.
LCWU chief proctor Surayya Ahmad told The Express Tribune that at least two students had even been mugged on the bridge. One was deprived of her purse a few months ago and the other of her mobile phone. She said many college boys came to the campus at 12pm and 2pm, when large numbers of girls leave the school, to exchange phone numbers.
She said that the university had deployed a guard at the bridge, but he had gotten beaten up on several occasions. “We have conveyed our concerns to the police but to no avail,” she added.
Civil Lines Superintendent of Police Umer Saeed Malik denied this, saying no complaints had been received from Lahore College. He said that if they received a complaint in writing, they would assess the problem and decide what measures need to be taken.
Col (r) Arune Pervez, who is in charge of security at Kinnaird, said that the college could not do anything about what happened off campus. He said they called the police whenever they received a complaint from a student about harassment on the overhead bridge.
An officer at Shadman police station, which has jurisdiction over the bridge, said that they had last received a harassment complaint from Kinnaird a month ago, but before police got to the scene, the boys had fled. He said that Shadman police were very busy and couldn’t spare any personnel to deploy at the bridge.
Israr Saeed, director of traffic engineering, said that four guards had been deployed at each of the pedestrian bridges, “otherwise the place would have been a no-go area for girls”. He added that there was only so much the police could do. “The city is full of eve teasers so we can’t ensure one hundred per cent protection,” he said.
A guard deployed at one of the bridges said that they chased away groups of loiterers when they came across them. They said that the girls were not always unwelcoming of the male attention. “We can’t do anything if the girls call the boys themselves here,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2011.