(1888PressRelease)
September 16, 2009 - Mumbai : How many times have you travelled by bus and ignored the man standing uncomfortably close to you, excusing it as a lack of space? How many times have you ignored a sexually charged comment, a look, an attitude, because you didn’t think you could do anything about it? As far as Femina’s Women Fight Back campaign is concerned, even once is too often. The campaign, started in April 2009, aims to help women stand up and raise their voices against violence of every kind—mental, physical, sexual, emotional.
In the August 3rd issue of Femina, the ‘Women Fight Back’ campaign focuses on case of the brave Niang Mary, who suffered sexual molestation by her landlord. Niang was working in a BPO in Chandigarh and had decided to relocate to Delhi for brighter career prospects. Niang and her friend found a flat on rent which belonged to Kishan Yadav at Goregaon. One night a drunken Kishan forced his way into the girl’s flat with three other men. Niang and her friend were brutally beaten up and were sexually molested by the men. Niang somehow escaped and ran for police protection.
Kishan was arrested and let out on bail a few days later. Even on Niang’s insistence that it was a case of sexual molestation, physical assault and that the Scheduled Castes and Tribes [Prevention of Atrocities Act] was applicable, the police did not capture the essentials and instead filed an FIR under Sections 323, 452, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code which were everything except what Niang had asked for.
Kishan offered Niang money to take back the FIR. However, Niang refused and is waiting for the trial to begin. Niang Mary is traumatized by this experience, yet she is strong enough to wait and see that the men meet their deserved punishment.
Here’s what you can do if faced with sexual molestation:
• File the FIR in your own handwriting:
o According to Dr Kiran Bedi, this is important as then your words cannot be changed and it will help in setting the process in motion
• Save Yourself:
o Get away from your attackers, seek help, contact family/friends and decide on the action to be taken
• Visit a Rape Intervention Crisis Centre:
o A Rape Intervention crisis Centre helps the victim deal with the trauma, guides her in how to go forward and motivates her to fight till the end according to Dr. Rajat Mitra, Director, Swanchetan Society for Mental Health
• Don’t Blame Yourself:
o “Sometimes there’s fear and resentment towards men in general, so seek help by approaching an NGO or a counsellor for support,” says Dr. Vinita, a Gurgaon-based psychiatrist.
Listed below are contact details of organisations that can help you in case of sexual molestation:
Swanchetan Society for Mental Health
Contact: 011-26123931, 09810262767
Breakthrough.tv
Contact: 011-26176181
E-mail: contact ( @ ) breakthrough dot tv
Jagori
Contact: 011-26692700, 26691219
E-mail: jagori ( @ ) jagori dot org
India Centre for Human Rights and Law
Contact: 022-23439651, 23436692
E-mail: huright ( @ ) vsnl dot com
Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiatives
Contact: 0522-2782060, 2782066
E-mail: rc ( @ ) aalilegal dot org, aali ( @ ) aalilegal dot org, www.aalilegal.org
Human Rights Law Network
Contact: 080-57624757
About Femina:
Femina is a magazine, published fortnightly in India. Femina was first published in July 1959. It is owned by Worldwide Media, a 50:50 joint venture between BBC Worldwide and The Times Group. The largest women’s magazine in India, Femina is a holistic magazine that addresses all the areas of a woman's life from Fashion, Beauty, Relationships, Travel, Cuisine, and Health & Fitness to inspirational stories about real women and their achievements. It also features articles on various facets of Indian women, their lives and equips Indian women with the knowledge to enhance their lives. You can also visit www.femina.in to read up more articles.
For further information contact:
Femina - info@femina.in
Vanessa - vanessa@windchimes.co.in
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