In Delhi, India, this week the global human rights organization Breakthrough launched a Board the Bus campaign, which runs through March 8, International Women’s Day. They want women to know that they have the right to occupy public places and suggest that having more women in public places can help reduce harassment.
“We’re calling on women who don’t normally take the bus to board the bus with us,” Digital Media Strategist Radhika Takru says. “We’re telling women who take the bus regularly that they don’t have to go it alone. If everyone goes together, there is a very real chance we can make the bus – or any public space – safer.”
The Board the Bus website encourages people to ride the bus to “get people thinking, talking, and acting,” and to “Take back the space that was always yours.” Participants can Tweet about their experiences with the hashtag #BoardtheBus and share a photo of their ride.
If you live in Delhi, consider joining the campaign and boarding a bus. On the last day of the campaign, March 8, join hundreds of women at 4 p.m. at Connaught Place Bus Stop. Help make those spaces safer through your presence and, as necessary, bystander intervention.
If you’re not in Delhi, you can help spread the word about the campaign to those who are, and you can participate by traveling through Delhi on your own virtual bus.
