Consultation cum public meeting
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 27 2017:
With the aim to battle against the series of crimes against women, the Women Action for Development (WAD) in collaboration with other organisations today organised a consultation cum public meeting on the systematic killing of women and girls in Manipur at Lamyanba Shanglen, Palace Compound .
Delivering the keynote address, secretary of WAD, Sobita Mangsatabam said systematic killing of women and girls in Manipur is alarming.
Ways and means to stop this disturbing trend should be devised .
The wait for Government’s intervention to stop the killing has been long enough.
It is now time for the public to decide what can be done to put an end to the killings.
As such, the consultation is being organised so that people of all hues can make collective efforts to end the disturbing trend, Sobita said .
From January this year till July 25, a total of 186 cases of victimising women and children have been recorded including 25 cases of rape of girls, she pointed out .
From 2010 to 2017, 150 women have been murdered.
Out of this, just one conviction is made for the offences.
Such crime has spared no communities of the State.
In some cases, women are molested and then murdered while there are also cases where women disappeared involuntarily, Sobita said .
President of Centre for Women Development, Keishamthong, Ningthoujam Jibanmala said the series of crime against women and children cannot be stopped by mere spreading of awareness and awarding punishment or penalty to the perpetrators.
There is a need to change the mindset and attitude of the people .
Appreciating the initiatives taken up by the Govt for the protection of women and children against crimes through various measures like establishment of fast track court and providing help line numbers, Jibanmala further drew the attention of the Govt to increase budget for empowerment of women and children in the ongoing Assembly session .
Secretary of United Tribal Development Programme, Romeo Yuhlung; project coordinator of Rural Women Upliftment Society, Melody; representative of Women Welfare Association, Bamon Leikai, L Leibaklei; Director of Childline, Bishnupur, L Pishak; president of CWC N Jeevanmala; adviser of Kuki Women’s Union, Rose Mangshi amongst others attended the programme as the dais members.