The People’s Cultural Centre (PECUC) in collaboration with The Hunger Project is organising the “16 Days of Activism” campaign from December 1 to 6.
It is an international campaign that started in 1991. Since then, over 5,179 groups in 187 countries have taken part. It calls for breaking the silence against violence against women.
The weeklong event launched a mobile van at Balianta and Bolagarh blocks of Khordha district to aware the people on the issues of violence against women, specifically domestic violence.
A district level workshop on Violence against Women was organised on the occasion. While chairperson, PECUC Prof Adaramani Boral presided over the meeting, ADM Arun Kumar Behera joined as guest and addressed the gathering that the domestic violence issues can be solved by creating awareness among all sections of people.
Members , State Women Commission, Snehanjali Mohanty, Tilotama Nayak,Susmita Ratha, Kusum Ratha, Rasmiprava Mishra (DV Protection officer) Khordha, Dr Minakhi Panda , Director PECUC, among others, addressed.
Over 100 women PRI members and SHG leaders participated and shared views. They demanded that panchayat should be given adequate power for giving marriage certificate, birth certificate etc, formation of Sexual Harassment Committee at panchayat level, protection of single/divorced women, unmarried girls/ widows, etc, besides a ban onthe two-child norm to contest PRI polls.