By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The rally condemning crime against women has unanimously resolved to suggest the governments of the Northeastern states to constitute special cells in police stations, beat houses and outposts to tackle crimes against women and children.
“We have also resolved to urge the state governments to constitute special commissions to handle crimes against women and children,” rally coordinator GD Lakiang said after the rally here on Thursday.
According to Lakiang, the special commission would receive complaints and adjudicate on cases related to crimes against women.
He suggested that the special commission could carry out awareness campaigns on a war footing at all levels by engaging village dorbar, women organisations, educational and health institutions, both from the public and private sectors, and even translate and disseminate widely the laws and the various sections of the IPC related to the subject matter for public information and understanding.
“The Judicial system should be restructured in such a way that cases related to crimes against women are dispensed in a time-bound manner,” Lakiang said.
He also pointed out that all religious/ faith institutions, including their respective women organisations and fellowships to develop and articulate the divinity of womanhood whereby women are honored and respected and given due recognition as equal partners in all matters.
“We would also suggest the State Governments to introduce lessons in the school and college curriculum on sex education, human sexuality and gender justice,” the rally coordinator said.
Earlier, the rally strongly and unequivocally condemned the increase in crimes committed against women without distinction of age and of economic and social status in Meghalaya, in the North East and the country as a whole.
“It is greatly disturbing that there has been a rise in cases of sexual harassment, molestation, domestic violence in various forms, rape which does not spare small children and even one’s off-springs and blood relatives, trafficking for sexual slavery and labour which include both women and children despite having so many laws to prevent such inhuman actions and to penalise sexual offenders, traffickers, rapists and so on,” Lakiang lamented.
Organisations/ groups which participated in the rally included Gender and Youth, Christian Conference of Asia, Centre for Social Development, North East Dialogue Forum, Synjuk ki Seng Kynthei, Shillong Archdiocese and Indigenous Biodiversity & Social Welfare Organization, among others.