IT staff protest against gender violence

A street play and a candlelight rally were held as part of the protest on Thursday.

After work on Thursday, groups of IT workers protested here, near IT parks in Electronics City and ITPL, against gender inequality and violence against women.

Organised by ITEC (IT/ITeS Employees Centre), a welfare forum for employees working in the technology sector, the protest had techies stage a street play, shout slogans and stage a candlelight rally on this issue. Over 200 people took part in the rally.

The street skit portrayed various scenarios at workplaces, at homes and on the street.

It focussed on various issues and cruelties that women face ranging from the more systemic issues such as dowry harassment and female foeticide to sexual abuse and rape.

“The thinking that women are a commodity has to change,” said Shruthi Jolly, a member of ITHI, the women’s group that is part of ITEC.

ITHI plans to stage skits at several places across the city on this theme. Those gathered around reacted well to the play, she said.

All those gathered also took a pledge not to indulge in any form of discrimination against women and to react when they hear, see or experience any such discrimination or violence.

Deepthi, who participated in the protest, said that it is a “very disturbing trend” to read in the papers that Bangalore stands fourth in rapes reported across the country. “And how to change the mindset when even our politicians seem to make statements continuously blaming women: like holding their dressing or lifestyle or their freedom.”