Rising Violence Against Women : Exhibition and Panel Discussion
- Date : 21 September 2013 -
New Delhi: 18th September, 2013
In Response to Rising Violence Against Women: Making Women, Peace, Security and Disarmament Work in India: Exhibition and Panel Discussion.
This Saturday 21st of September, the world will mark the International Day of Peace, declared by the UN as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, and sharing peaceful acts in practical ways. But peace does not come easily, we must fight for its preservation everyday. There remains much work to be done.
It is in this spirit of self-reflection and practical peaceful action that on this International Day of Peace, Control Arms Foundation of India together with United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) will hold a public exhibition and panel discussion. The event will take place at the UN Conference Hall, 55 Lodi Estate, New Delhi from 9:00 -5:00 pm.
There can be no more opportune time to make the critical connections between rising violence against women, and the growth of militarism in India. This past week India launched another test of the nuclear-capable 'Agni-V' long-range ballistic missile. This kind of extravagant military display has become commonplace, and we have become unquestioning, and uncritical. India has now surpassed China as the largest importer of weapons, and we must ask ourselves how far we have wandered from the pillars of “peace, disarmament and development” upon which our foreign policy was founded.
It is against this backdrop of militarization that we are seeing rising levels of violence against women. The world’s eyes have been upon India this week as the perpetrators of the fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old woman last December have been sentenced. But everyday in India too many women lose their lives to similar forms of abhorrent violence, and their families are not afforded genuine justice in a system that devalues their lives and their experiences.
To highlight the strength and work of Manipuri women’s weaving, crafts and art works by the women of the Manipur Gun Survivors Network will be showcased from 9:00-1:00pm. From 2:00 pm a panel discussion will be held, joined by a panel of esteemed guests including Ms. Kiran Bedi retired Indian Police Service Officer and social activist, Ms Binalakshmi Nepram, founder-Manipur Women Gun Survivor Network & Secretary-General, Control Arms Foundation of India, as well as Sharna de Lacy and Fiona McAlpine, joining from the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Australia to share their work and experience, and how grass roots work, and civil society activism can be connected to the larger UN framework and tools such as the UN Security Council Resolutions on Women Peace and Security. The panel will discuss women's protection, women's participation and conflict prevention.
For more information, please contact:
Office of Control Arms Foundation of India
B 5 / 146, First Floor, Safdarjung Enclave,
New Delhi - 110 029, India.
Website: www.cafi-online.org,
Enail: [email protected]
Phone: +91-11-46018541,
Fax +91-11-26166234
* This Press Release was sent by Krishna Dubey , who can be contacted at krishnadubecafi(at)gmail(dot)com
This Post is uploaded on September 19, 2013
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