Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance? Uttar Pradesh Women Power Line 1090

Abstract

Women Power Line 1090 was a facility set up by the government of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state of India, for eradicating the menace of harassment of women in the state. The case briefly presents the genesis of the 1090 project and traces the journey of the project from an idea to the creation of an innovative and agile organization within the normally bureaucratic police force. The case concludes by presenting the challenges faced by the protagonist while analyzing the first seven months performance of his brainchild. The first challenge discussed is how he can extend 1090 to address more severe problems of eve-teasing, domestic violence and cyber crimes related to women. The second challenge he is thinking about is scaling up the operations without losing quality. The third challenge he is looking at is to find ways to create awareness and mobilization in the rural areas, which are home to 77 per cent of the state’s population.