Protest against the increasing crimes against women and Government apathy, indifference to gender concerns in Government policies like education, health policies, and the State's development programmes which are anti-women resounded at the International Women's Day Programme organised by Bailancho Saad at Azad Maidan, Panaji. Cultural programmes highlighted these various concerns.
To counter the increasing the increasing violence, Bailancho Saad announced the launching of the "NO WOMEN WILL BE BEATEN CAMPAIGN". As part of this campaign, Bailancho Saad will form groups in the villages who will record the names of all those who beat women and approach these persons and impress upon them not to violate the human rights of women and take recourse to the law if the violence continues. Ms. Angela D'Souza announcing the launching of this campaign from Bardez, expressed the hope that in three years, the campaign would spread throughout Goa and no person would dare to beat women. Bailancho Saad also announced training programmes in self-defence to equip women to be mentally and physically equipped to deal with all kinds of violence, specially sexual violence. Ms. Seema Naik and Ms.Afrose Shaikh presented snippets of the self-defence training they had undergone appealed to the public to support the training. Ms. Aishwarya Bapat compering the programme lamented the declining sex ratio and boy-preference prevalent in society. Seven year old Sini Fernandes sang the dreams of a young girl child blossoming into a capable woman. Young girls from Saad Alashiro Mapusa Community Centre also sang the aspirations of a bright tomorrow. Ms. Sabina Martins from Bailancho Saad located the deteriorating crimes against women in the context of the State -induced erosion of women's rights in the country. Ms. Martins remarked that the Government apathy to introduction of measures essential to curb crimes against women was responsible for the rising crime graph. Ms. Martins also referred to the recently introduced Jammu and Kashmir Bill which seeks to further deprive the women of their citizenship, the non-passage of the reservation bill, acquittal of accused in sati glorification case. Ms. Martins further stated that while on the one hand the women were enabled to work at night due to a recent legislation, there were no enabling facilities like hostels and transport to make this possible. Ms. Cevelorna Torres once again reiterated the demand that family laws must be reviewed through consultative processes and animated skits through which there were responses on gender bias in existing succession laws in Goa. Baina Mahila Mandal, Arz and residents of Baina focussed on the circumstances under which women are forced into prostitution, the further victimisation and atrocities against these women by the police. The skit concluded with an appeal for decent livelihood and shelter for the women. The gathering condemned the harassment of NGOs working in the area. Caste prejudices prevalent in Goa were highlighted by the Savitri Phule Mahila Mandal and Bailancho Saad through a song and a talk on the activities that the Mandal has been doing to combat the problem. Rivona Ostorivani highlighted the contribution of women in paddy cultivation in this International Year of Rice. With lively music, the Ostorivani also musically highlighted the daily household chores of women. Rajani Redkar presented the initial findings of a study conducted by Bailancho Saad on the status of women in agriculture in Goa, which included the discrimination in work, wages, ownership. Ms. Pratibha Bapat presented the health concerns of women from childhood to adolescence to old age, which included lack of proper nutrition, neglect of women related diseases, depression. Ms. Vrunda Prabhu from Camurlim enlisted various schemes announced by the government which are either not tailored to the needs of women or are not reaching all women who deserve them. It was announced that a detailed analysis of where the self-help groups and micro-credit are headed will be done in the coming year. Ms. Albertina Almeida through various examples indicated how development was skewed in favour of profits for a few at the cost of the people particularly women. Ms. Almeida cited the instance of the International Film Festival being promoted for tourism, and referred to the statement of the Director General of Cannes Film Festival Kayla that development of a party atmosphere and floating casinos are necessary for the success of the Film festival. Ms. Almeida pointed out that already casinos and matka gambling due to non-implementation of the Gambling Act were wreaking enough havoc in women's lives in the State of Goa. A fugdi by the women from Morjim and a song by the students of Holy Rosary School from Nuvem, depicted the need for liberation of women from exploitation and social oppression. The Programme concluded with a reiteration of the demands of last year all of which remained yet unmet by the State. Some of the salient demands included the implementation of Yashaswini schemes, a full-fledged women police station, Gender Inpact Assessment of all education policies, adequate fulfilment of nutritional and health needs at affordable prices, stop to surrogate advertising of alcohol, creation of gainful employment for women in a non-exploitative environment, enabling effective participation of women in local self-Government through proper capacity building of women councillors and panchas.. Bailancho Saad . --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). 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