The year 2003, has been especially traumatic for women as we read and heard about crimes against women: car thefts, muggings, bag snatching, sexual harassment, domestic violence, kidnappings, rape and murders.
Women do not want to live in fear. WE have a right to be safe.
Our vision is to work towards a safe violence free space both in the public and private arenas of our lives. It is our belief that concerned citizens and a strong collective voice is necessary to remedy this social illness that has plagued us for long enough.
While we work for the long term towards law/policy reform and changing mindsets, for the immediate we can take control of some aspects of our life:-
* provide refuge and counseling to women in crisis, this includes battered women and their children, single mothers and abused foreign domestic workers, unwed mothers, refugees, rape survivors.
* conduct public education to create awareness of VAW (Violence Against Women) and women's rights.
What is violence Against Women?
Violence Against Women is a chosen action against a woman or girl child simply because of her gender, simply because she is a female.
VAW cuts across lines of race, religion, income, class and culture. VAW is deeply embedded in all cultures, so much so that millions of women consider it a way of life.
Some of the horrific examples of VAW in the world today:
Sex selective abortion, battery during pregnancy, female infanticide, child marriage, female genital mutilation, incest, child prostitution, pornography, date rape, rape, sexual harassment, "honour" killings, dowry abuse, acid throwing, forced prostitution, trafficking of women, domestic violence, marital rape, forced suicide of widows, murders.
WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO STOP THIS!!!
