Sehwag bats to ‘Make Delhi Safe for Women’

New Delhi: “Treat Women with the respect they deserve. And you will be called a Daredevil”, “ says Virender Sehwag from the hoardings and in promos being run by The Centre for Equity and Inclusion (CEQUIN), a Non Governmental Organisation, working for the safety of women in Delhi.
Delhi Daredevils’ star cricketer Sehwag is now a goodwill ambassador for the campaign run by CEQUIN, of which Sara Pilot is a founder member along with Lora Prabhu, who co-founded the organization.
Sehwag has praised the organization for its dedicated work.
The "Make Delhi Safe for Women" campaign by CEQUIN draws upon the citizenship and pride of Delhi.
Mrs Pilot said that Sehwag’s joining as a Goodwill Ambassador will drive home the message more emphatically. She was also happy that GMR and Delhi Daredevils as a team were backing the campaign.
"It is the responsibility of the citizens to take serious action if they come across any case of harassment done to a girl. I hope that in the times to come, we are able to create enough awareness about this issue would help make the women feel safe,” added Sehwag.
“Every day we read stories of eve-teasing and rape in newspapers but rarely do we come across stories talking about action taken against the culprits. So if we spread the knowledge regarding the rights and the laws that women can make use of, I am sure the women would feel a lot safer," Sehwag added.
Sehwag also stressed as the Commonwealth Games approaching, it is now the responsibility of the citizens to ensure that the tourists feel safe and secure in Delhi.
"The upcoming Commonwealth Games in 2010 would welcome a lot of people, both men and women. So it is our duty as the citizens of Delhi to ensure their safety, it is not the duty of the police or the government. We must make sure that, once they come they feel safe in Delhi and not otherwise," he said.
The Centre for Equity and Inclusion (CEQUIN) is a Non Profit Organization, working towards the empowerment of marginalized and excluded sections of the population, with a special focus on women. CEQUIN was set up in 2008 by Sara Pilot and Lora Prabhu, who were previously associated with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and have worked extensively in the development sector for the empowerment of women.