‘Awareness among youth can end violence against women’

BHUBANESWAR: “Youth are the best instruments to bring change in the society, moreover an apt message of human rights, equality and equal relationship can be taken into a wider discourse through regular engagement of the youth,” said social activists at the workshop organised by National Alliance of Women (NAWO) Odisha chapter on the occasion of South Asian Women’s Day on Wednesday at Jaydev Vihar Utkalmani Sabha Kakhya here.

Around 100 college students participated in the discussion on “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Violence against Women”, with the women social activists of the NAWO and other organisations. On the observance of South Asian Women’s Day, State coordinator of NAWO Lalita Missal said women are the vulnerable group of human rights violence in the world, especially in the South-Asian countries, which is one of the most violent regions for women, as proven by its shockingly low sex-ratios. Besides, democracy covers little ground in the region at the LPG era. To check the violence against women, awareness among the youth is the need of the hour.

“Women trafficking, bride burning for dowry, domestic violence, violence at the workplace, rape and molestation, eve-teasing, sex selective abortion, acid attack, kidnapping, witch hunting, black mailing through MMS scandals are rising in the State, which is not a healthy trend, down the freedom of women in the society,” said the members of NAWO while addressing the youth in the meeting.

The meeting was the part of International campaign fortnight or the 16 days of activism against gender violence is an international campaign starts from November 25 which is ‘International Day against Violence against Women’ and ends with December 10, the International Human Rights Day.

Among others, State convener of NAWO Pramila Swain, Vice-president of AIDWA Tapasi Praharaj, Nibedita Acharya the first woman who traveled through seaway from Odisha to Java, Odia Athlete Anuradha Biswal and members of NAWO expressed their valuable views and shared their experiences with the youth mass pledging them to protest different types of violence against women in the society.