Hundreds of women from Dharwad district will be participating in a State-level agitation to be held in Bengaluru on February 1, condemning atrocities against women and seeking steps to check inflation and solve the problem of unemployment.
The call for the State-level agitation has been given by All India Mahila Samskrutika Sanghatane (AIMSS) and the agitation will be held at Freedom Park.
In a press release issued on behalf of AIMSS, district secretary Gangubai Kokare has said that the State-level protest has been called to condemn the increasing attacks on women and children, such recent incidents being the sexual exploitation of minor girls at Murugha Mutt and the rape of a 10-year-old girl at Malavalli in the State.
“AIMSS feels that It is a matter of concern that such incidents are increasing and the laws on woman safety passed by the State and Union governments have failed to protect them. At a time when the Prime Minister was mentioning about Nari Shakti (woman power), 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano rape case have been given pardon, which is shocking,” the release said.
Ms. Kokare has said that to mobilise more participants for the cause of woman safety, awareness programmes and street meetings are being held in various villages and towns in Dharwad district. And, a large number of women are expected to proceed to Bengaluru from Dharwad to take part in the agitation.
AIMSS will also appeal to all people with progressive mindset and who have concern for woman to support the agitation and bring pressure to bear on the State and Union governments to initiate suitable steps to ensure their safety.
AIMSS will press for the fulfilment of the following demands during the agitation at Freedom Park. They are effective measures for woman safety, stringent punishment to criminals involved in attack on women and children, ban on pornographic films and websites, advertisements that demean women, stopping privatisation of education and health, checking inflation and addressing malnutrition problems in women and children.
