Dimapur, Dec. 5 (EMN): A fellowship of the Least Coin and Students Christian Movement of India-NEI region observed the annual Global Fortnight Campaign to eliminate violence against women and girls, on December 4 in Dimapur.
The Annual Global Fortnight Campaign is observed from November 25 to December 10, an update from the organisers stated.
Speaking at the programme, Renemsongla Ozukum stated that “Mental and cultural discrimination of women is the worst form of violence that a society can possibly inflict to a woman.”
Several students representing colleges from Dimapur participated in the event using responsive liturgies through song, choreography and reading text followed by affirmative action and pledge for a VAW free community using candlelight and signature campaign.
“There is an increasing rate of domestic violence and abuse by husbands, brothers and fathers in recent years. In addition, we see male-patronage of institutions and aggressive show of male competition and power in the market places like Dimapur,” said Ozukum highlighting the serious concerns of gender-based violence faced by urban women and girls in Nagaland today.
“Though Dimapur is one of the fastest-growing commercial hubs in the North East Indian region, we lack proper mechanisms for ensuring the social security and safety of vulnerable people, including the citizens of the city. We live in a dynamic and big city where we have easy access to all the commodities that we need, but women and children do not feel safe and secure anymore,” she lamented.
She appealed to young people and ecumenical prayer groups to join hands with SCM and FLC to ensure that Dimapur does not become a “violently horrific place where we are indifferent to violence, particularly to the violence committed against women and vulnerable young girls.”
She appealed to continue striving to build communities where there is no gender discrimination but a socially-just and gender-equal society. She hoped that the campaign would lead from awareness to accountability, and an eventual gender-equal and violence-free world.
The annual fortnight campaign or the 16-day activism against gender-based violence from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to December 10 (International Human Rights Day) has been observed since 1991. It is an international campaign calling for prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls. The dates were chosen to symbolically link violence against women as a violation of human rights.