Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
Imphal, September 28 2009:
It will be very difficult to stop domestic violence against women in the state of Manipur if families do not resolve their problems among family members, asserted former district Session Judge C Upendra Singh.
He was speaking at the "One day state level seminar on violence against women" at the State Guest House at Sanjenthong here today.
The seminar was organized by the Foundation for Social Development Organization (FSDO) sponsored by National Commission for Women, New Delhi.
Giving key note address, the Secretary of FSDO stated that according to the definition given by the United Nations, violence against women include "Any act of gender-based violence that result in, or likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life".
In Manipur gender based violence cases include rape, molestation, kidnapping, dowry deaths, wife-battering, sex-determination of girl child, trafficking of females, eve-teasing, etc., said the secretary of FSDO.
During the past six years, gender based violence has alarmingly increased, which is not a good thing for the state, said the FSDO secretary, adding that 61 cases of violence against women were reported in 2003, which increased to 168 cases in 2004, 117 cases in 2005, 102 cases in 2006, 100 cases in 2007, and 141 cases in 2008 .
By and large, the people of the state have been seriously affected by drug addiction, HIV/AIDS, armed conflicts, displacements, poverty, etc.
and the increasing cases of rape committed by father to his daughter or father-in-law to his daughter-in-law has been a worrying aspect of violence against women, he said.
He also highlighted other forms of violence against women, such as, sexual abuse of commercial sex workers, struggle of HIV/AIDS infected women and girls to get anti-retroviral therapy (ART), nutritional support and sources of livelihood, abuse of women and minor children in transportation of arms, ammunitions, demand letters, etc.
In a conflict torn state like Manipur, all civilians suffer due to violence committed by state and non-state actors; but women and children are more vulnerable to the different forms of gender based violence committed by state and non-state actors, said the secretary of FSDO.
Another dimension of gender based violence is trafficking of women and girls in the state, more than 60 cases of trafficking including 43 girls had taken place during the last year, most of them minors ranging between the age of 5 to 20 years, added the FSDO secretary.
Others who spoke as resource persons in the seminar include M.Ranjana Devi (Programme Officer, ICDS) - "The protection of women from domestic violence Act 2005"; Th.Radheshyam (SP, Imphal East district) - "Police public relation"; Ng.
Tejkumar (government advocate) - "Gender rights in the context of arms conflict in Manipur (Arrest and Detention); professor S.Tikendra Singh (retired senior grade lecturer) - " The importance of codifying traditional laws while responding to gender injustice"; and Dr.Ch.
Jamini Devi (chairperson, Manipur State Women Commission) - "Gender rights of CEDAW (The convention of the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women)".
Violence against women
61 cases in 2003;
168 cases in 2004;
117 cases in 2005;
102 cases in 2006;
100 cases in 2007 and
141 cases reported in 2008 .