Three caravans are traveling round the country as part of a campaign launched by an NGO, Act Now for Harmony and Democracy (ANHAD), in support of the Women Reservation Bill.
The caravans were flagged off from Jhansi, a city with historical significance for women's struggle, and one of
them on Saturday reached Shillong.
"Campaign Reservation Express has been endorsed by a large number of women networks, organizations and civil society groups across India. The three women caravans will cover 56 cities and towns covering approximately 15,000 km," Seema Duhan, leader of the third caravan said.
Three routes are being followed during the campaign.
While the first would cover Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Delhi, the second would traverse Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The third route would traverse Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
As part of the Campaign, public meetings, conferences and cultural programmes are being hosted by local organisations in which women leaders, artists, intellectuals and civil society members will participate, Duhan said.
"More than 50 per cent of the caravan members are Dalit and Muslim women struggling to get equal rights and are fighting against discrimination," Duhan said.