JOIN USThe outrage over the gruesome gang-rape case has spread to entire Delhi with a large number of youth, in different groups, descending to knock at the doors of the elected representatives and head of the State, seeking justice for the victim.
Here in Dakshina Kannada too, the members of Mahila Jagruthi Vedike, Sugrama Elected Gram Panchayat Women Members Federation and Jana Shikshana Trust has started a campaign to rise against atrocity and also to create awareness, as a part of One Billion Rising campaign, call given by V Day, USA.
This is an attempt to stop violence against women and girls across India and the world. The One Billion Rising campaign began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that one in three women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at seven billion, this adds up to more than one billion women and girls.
On February 14, 2013, V-Day’s 15th anniversary, activists, writers, thinkers, celebrities and women and men across the world will come together to express their outrage, strike, dance, and rise in defiance of the injustice women suffer, demanding to put an end at last to violence against women.
In support to One Billion Rising, in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, campaign has been held at 32 gram panchayats. As many as 71 programmes have been organised.
“It is an attempt to sensitise women against atrocity on them at the village-level,” said Jana Shikshana Trust Director Krishna Moolya. The campaign has reached 4,905 women. It will be a continous process.
As a part of the programme, signature campaign was held, wherein about 20,000 to 30,000 signatures have been collected.
“Intensive campaign was held in Munnur, Vittal, Kadeshwalya, Katpadi and Kadekar gram panchayats, wherein vehicles were used to create awareness among the people in the entire gram panchayat limits.”
Slogans like ‘Women power is world power,’ ‘Let us welcome birth of female child,’ ‘Let us honour motherhood’ and others were written on the walls of gram panchayats at 50 places. Banners on the need to check atrocity on women were placed, said Director Sheena Shetty.
Irene D’Souza, who had taken part in the campaign said that poverty, dowry and addiction to alcohol are mainly responsible for atrocities on women. A student who had taken part in the campaign said, “had there been no PNDT Act, then we would not have seen female children.”
Pushpalatha from Munnur said, “in the name of helping women in distress, many men misuse her. As a result, she becomes helpless and can not raise her voice against it.”
The awareness was held in Meramajalu, Amtadi, Kadeshwalya, Rayi, Sarapadi, Veerakamba, Kurnadu, Manchi, Vittal, Ira, Kolnadu, Balepuni, Naringana, Munnur, Konaje, Belma, Kuppepadavu, Manjanady, Kemral, Mennabettu, Padupanambur, Neermarga, Nellikar, Moodushedde, Adyar, Thenka, Katpadi, Padubidri, Manipura, Bannur, Kaukradi and Kolthige gram panchayats.