‘Why should rape victims cover face?’
AT HT WOMAN AWARDS ‘Women of substance’ make a point, raise a query and urge society to demolish practices that seek to find fault with women
LUCKNOW: A girl, who was sexually assaulted by her father’s friend, walked on the HT Woman Awards stage without a veil on Sunday.
“Why should the victims be made to cover their face? The law helps but more than legal justice, it is social acceptability that’s needed,” said Sakshi Vidyarthi, who announced that she has got a documentary done on herself and wants to feature in a film on her life. Hindustan Times is naming her on her request. “The chief minister sir is in the audience. Sir, would you have been able to notice my pain had I sat in a corner, my face covered,” Sakshi asked chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the chief guest of the function, who was listening to her with rapt attention.
She was among the several ‘women of substance’ who walked on the HT Woman Awards stage to make a point, raise a query and urge society to demolish conventional practices that seek to find fault with women or tells them to keep low out of fear of stigma.
The chief minister, who appeared moved by the speeches, admitted that society needs to speak up against injustice.
He announced that he has ordered creation of three women battalions for better security of women.
“My government is striving to create a system wherein women can walk back to their homes from airports, railway and bus stations at midnight without fear. That could be a yardstick (for women’s security),” Yogi said.
He also announced that his government would induct Commonwealth Games gold medalist Punam Yadav into the police force with a Dy SP rank. “We have already announced Rs 50 lakh for her golden effort. Now, we are offering her a Dy SP rank in police force too,” he said amid applause.
The HT Woman Award went to Dr Roshan Jahan (Mumbai-based, from Azamgarh) who lost both her legs after being pushed out from a local train by some unidentified person in Mumbai. Daughter of a vegetable vendor, she fought 90 per cent disability and went on to clear medical examinations to tell the world that ‘nothing was impossible.’
But there was more to the function than awards. There were victims, fighting not just the perpetrators, but the system that seeks to view them as weaker sex. There were their mothers who are now helping rape victims.
There were also go-getter women from police and army, who smartly walked up to the stage to showcase the fascinating growth of women as achievers, portraying women power.
Mother of Delhi gang rape victim, who had especially come to Lucknow for the awards function, emphasized on the need for speedier punishment to the culprits and reminded society of the need to not discriminate against the girl child.
Film director Anubhav Sinha said: “I feel that the root of the problem is when we tell a girl that you are ‘less than a boy’. Not just men, but women are equally to be blamed for this notion. We need to educate our sons on how to respect women.”