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Nirbhaya Day: ‘U.P. utilises less than ¼ of GoI fund to protect women’
A march was taken out - from Begum Hazrat Mahal Park to the Collectorate office - to rally for the freedom of women at night
A torchlight march was taken out jointly by students’ and women’s organisations to commemorate Nirbhaya Day, marking 12 years of the brutal gang rape of a girl in Delhi.
The demonstration was organised by the All India Democratic Women’s Association, and attended by the Students’ Federation of India (Lucknow), and the Indian Women’s Federation here.
The march was taken out - from Begum Hazrat Mahal Park to the Collectorate office - to rally for the freedom of women at night, speaking of the decades old fear amongst women of travelling or stepping out of the house after nightfall. AIDWA president, Madhu Garg said, “Women are becoming victims of violence at many places from homes to roads, trains, buses etc. which is a question of law and order,” adding, “Whenever any brutality happens with a girl or woman, the blame is put on her head… We strongly oppose this mentality and believe that women have as much right at night as men do.”
Along with Garg, other key members of AIDWA were also present at the procession, including Suman Singh and Vandana Rai, Kanti Mishra, and Naish Hasan from IWF and Abdul Wahab from SFI among others.
The group also pointed out that only 21% of the country’s Nirbhaya Fund, which was announced by the government of India for the safety and empowerment of women, is being used in U.P. “Today, U.P. is at the forefront in the country in violence against women,” said Garg. Participants in the procession demanded that the state government ensure safety of women, and allocate proper resources for the rehabilitation of victimised women in the state.
