Women Action for Development (WAD) along with Uchekon Nongchup Gram Panchayat, Lainingthou Moriba Village Level Federation (VLF) & Uchekon Women VLF on Sunday jointly organised a one-day sensitisation programme on women and child issue (VAW) "Questioning the future of Manipur" at Lainingthou Moriba Community Hall.
The event was promoted by Manipur State Rural Livelihood Mission in association with PRI, CBO convergence project.
The programme began with the testimony sharing from Leima (name changed) from Imphal West District survivor's mother of sexual assault case of 2016 under (POCSO) Act, 2012.
Leima narrated that her two daughters were sexually assaulted by her husband's brothers with one of her daughters committing suicide due to social stigma. Stating thus, she appealed to all the stakeholders to support her to get justice immediately.
Youth Forum for Protection of Human Rights (YFPHR) secretary T Shadishkanta, spoke on basic legal rights such as POCSO Act and Child Marriage Prohibition Act. He said that it is high time for all to have basic legal knowledge and mechanisms in order to bring justice immediately and to prevent the youths from becoming accused due to lack of knowledge.
He also appealed to the participants not to encourage child marriage in our society and called for reporting immediately to Child helpline No. 1098.
WAD secretary Sobita Mangsatabam spoke on the topic "Gender & Gender based violence" and said that there is a need for a practical solution to handle crime against women and a change or improvement in the justice delivery system, active participation of the victims, a need for proper forensic science laboratory and DNA testing machine in the state and appealed to the government to look into the needs.
Social Scientist Dhanabir Laishram drew attention of the participants that in order to tackle violence against women and children and to bring developed society, one needs to understand the contribution made by the other. To bring up children in a cool and calm environment, both parents need to share equal responsibility in the family with understanding, he advised.
Pradhan Konsam Munindro, Uchekon Gram Panchayat, expressed gratitude to the organiser and resource persons for imparting knowledge on crime against Women & children and called for organizing more of such programmes in the future.
The programme was attended by around 200 local people including members of the VLF.
