On the occasion of the National Girl Child Day, the Minister of State for Women and Child Welfare, Rekha Arya along with the additional chief secretary Radha Raturi, launched ‘She Box’ and distributed Panic Buttons during a programme on Thursday.
Addressing the gathering during the event, Rekha Arya said, “Our Government is very open regarding the menstruation awareness. We have taken initiatives of not just distributing sanitation napkins among the women and the girls in the remote villages but we also talk about the discrimination faced by the women during that phase to raise awareness on the matter among the people. We are highlighting the issue and are active to stamp out the discrimination. We all should feel proud of the menstruation cycle. It is very normal too. Recently, we have come across a case where the villagers kept the menstruating women in a particular place, something which is very sad. As soon as I got the information I talked to the district magistrate and direction was given to him to close the centre. The villagers cooperated and the practice of segregating such women stopped.”
She further said, “Our Government has given strict direction to the police and all the women-related commissions to take up all the cases with utmost sensitivity. Our women are strong enough and can fight against every crime though.”
Revealing her mind on the empowerment of women, Arya said, “Now, women are very vocal about things as compared to the past. They are now coming out to demand punishment of those who commit crimes against them. Women have started the Me too campaign and they are giving expressions to their ordeals freely which was unthinkable till recently. We are developing fast, but we have still to go a long way. Women ought to support one another in times of crisis.” Speaking during the event, the additional chief secretary Radha Raturi said, “Both the ‘SHe Box’ and ‘Panic Button’ initiatives would be very effective in ensuring the women safety in the state. We look forward towards the success of both the initiatives.”