Zonta International says NO to violence against women
View(s):By Dr. Marlene Abeyewardene, District Governor ZI District 25
International Women’s Day is commemorated on March 8 each year by the United Nations. This is a special day dedicated to women for the purpose of focusing on the achievements and problems facing women all over the world.
Women form half the population of the world and ‘should be respected in their own right as human beings and treated likewise’. Every woman has a right to live a life free of harassment and harm and this right should ‘be accepted and appreciated, especially by the male sex who have a major role to play if a woman is to be respected as an equal partner’, a press release from Zonta Sri Lanka says, adding that among the many problems which women face, globally as well as locally, in our countries and communities, the most horrific is violence against them.
The release states:
Zonta International through its districts and clubs have organised a campaign to work towards ending violence against women, the adolescent girl and girl child which is Zonta Says No. This programme is organised worldwide. The aim of this programme is to create awareness against these heinous crimes created which women have to face and accept. For this programme to be effective it is important to obtain government support, including law enforcement by the relevant Officers.
Zonta International, an organisation of women in the professions and in business with its headquarters in Illinois USA has the empowerment and advancement of the status of women as its vision and has been carrying out its mission towards this end over the past 93 years of its existence.
Zonta International works though its Districts and Regions which are located in 64 countries of the world with over 30,000 members in over 1,200 clubs globally. Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Nepal belong to District 25 which in South Asia and share many problems which are common to other countries in the South Asian region that it Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Maldives.
The most horrific problem which women face in the world today is violence against them. This violence is either domestic at home or while commuting to work and back or in their work places. Sexual abuse is faced by the young girl child, the adolescent girl and women of all ages. Incidents such as horrific gang rapes ending in murder or the molestation of small girls raises protests globally and locally in communities and countries, but there is no permanent prevention of recurrence. It is vital that women should be respected in their own right as human beings and treated likewise. One of the problems faced in South Asian societies is that these are patriarchal societies in which men are the custodians of the women and the women accept being controlled by men. They therefore accept mental and physical abuse as a norm and not a violation of their human rights.
Globally Zonta International works together with the United Nations and the Council of Europe with which organisations it holds a consultative status. Zonta International together with the UN has tried to provide safer cities for women in countries where a woman cannot walk the streets without being harassed. These projects have been a great success in the countries where they have been provided. In the communities of Zonta district 25 the question whether it is possible for a woman to travel to work and back safely, as well as attend to her normal activities should be asked, if not it should be the aim of the community and the country to work towards this goal.
Should sexual harassment take place, it is important that the perpetrators of the crime should be suitably punished. If laws are in place it is vital that they should be enforced, if not it is mandatory that laws should be enacted and enforced to end violence. Law makers and observers of the law should focus on working together towards ending violence. Zonta International district 25 has planned its district programme for 2012-2014 towards achieving this objective in our district.
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