Members of Mahilodaya Mahila Okkoota take part in a procession in Mysuru on Wednesday. | Photo credit: MA SRIRAM

The members of Mahilodaya Mahila Okkoota demanded more safety for women in the workplace and strict punishments for those guilty of harassment and sexual assault of women.

The organisation also held a rally in the city on Wednesday to raise public awareness about the increasing atrocities against women in the society and urged the state and Union governments to urgently address the issue.

The rally took place in the backdrop of the recent rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata and the organisation demanded harsh punishment for those found guilty of the crime.

The members said that security needs to be increased not only at workplaces but also in the hostels for working women and girls. The government was also urged to enact a law to fast track cases of assaults and atrocities against women so that it acts as a deterrent and prevents the occurrence of such crimes.

The organisation’s members cited a number of recent incidents related to violence and atrocities against women and said the situation was such that it required the enactment of strict laws at both the central and state levels as a matter of priority.