40-year-old travels over 10,000 km to create better place for women

Visakhapatnam: Spreading a message to stop violence against women, Physical Education Teacher from Bagnapara C K D Girls High School, Kalna, Sutapa Das travelled 9,000-km thus far. Disturbed by the growing number of atrocities against women, Sutapa Das says that she is on a mission to build awareness among people to create a safe place for women. After travelling 9,000-odd kms, she reached Visakhapatnam driving her customised four-wheeler.

Commencing the journey on September 30, Sutapa Das covered Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana. "From Andhra Pradesh now, I will be heading to Odisha and back to West Bengal from where I have started my mission. Probably, it would take another couple of days to reach my hometown Rajapur in Purba Bardhaman, located about 100-km away from Kolkata," the 40-year-old explains. .

It's the second time that Sutapa Das visited Visakhapatnam. "Earlier, I came to the city in 2012. People here are extremely supportive and the place is so clean and beautiful," she describes. Being behind the wheels for close to 10 hours a day, Sutapa Das expresses confidence that her last leg of the mission would be completed in another couple of days.

As a part of her itinerary, Sutapa Das says that she stayed along with locals at times. "I met a number of women's association representatives, social workers, NGO representatives and locals who offered me shelter during my trip," she says.

Elaborating about her endeavour, Sutapa Das says that most women experience pain without complaining. "Be it dowry problem or workplace harassment or domestic violence or marital disputes, not many women prefer to share their trauma. Through my mission, I aspire to make the world a better place for them to live in and encourage people to create a conducive atmosphere for women both at work and home," she sums up.