Why is Pink equal to women?

Why is Pink equal to women?
It isn't just the desi authorities who're hell bent on pinkifying women's transport, the stereotype extends across China and Paris too.

We know women travellers in Delhi swear by their ladies-only compartment and their ladies-only seats. The Delhi Transport Corporation, after increasing the number of women's seats in buses, has come up with a not-so- innovative plan to ensure that women get access to these seats: the seats will be coloured in, no surprises here, pink. We at DT are all for seats reserved for women to make our daily commuting less of a suffering than what it used to be, but we don't get the authority's obsession with the colour pink - from the pink autos of Gurgaon to the pink buses for the Noida commuters or the pink labelling for the women's compartment in the metro.

One would hope that everyone is over the cliched pink-for-girls and blue-for-boys stereotype. But as far as the transport model goes, that is certainly not the case. Forgive us for thinking this pink-means-girl funda was another one of those things that only our decision-makers were completely capable of, because after a quick search, we were surprised to find this colour-codedness making an appearance in transport systems across the world. Japan and China, among others, have daily women-only trains, all labelled pink much like the Delhi Metro. Pink-labelling in buses can also be spotted across Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico and Pakistan while pink cabs can be seen on the roads in London and South Africa.

So, does this mean that the colour pink is crucial to the success of any such women-only venture? Without looking too far, the 'ladies special' trains in Mumbai, which have been functioning for many years, prove that a colour-coding such as this doesn't change anything. If any man sees an empty seat in a DTC bus, do you think the colour of the seat is going to make any difference to him?

Nupam Billa, a PR professional, says, "This stereotype is meant to satisfy the baboo authorities who just can't think beyond pink. I have never thought about pink labelling before entering the women's compartment in the Metro. Would I have not stepped in had it been yellow, green or purple? Who really cares?"

Shreya Talwar, a DU student, added, "It's a stereotype like any other and whoever makes these decisions, needs to think beyond pink."