The Kudumbashree mission will launch a State-level campaign to create awareness against dowry, ostentatious weddings and harassment of women and equip society to raise their voice against these ills.
‘Sthreepaksha Navakeralam’ is being launched against the backdrop of mounting concern over the rise in dowry-related suicides and murders. Messages against dowry, ostentatious weddings, and harassment of women will be taken to all sections of society with the aim of bringing about a change in the mindset of the people. The plan is to rope in maximum number of youth for realising a broad-based campaign.
A detailed action plan of activities to be taken up at the district, block, and neighbourhood group level has been prepared as part of the campaign that will continue till March. These have been drawn up with the support of college students, youth organisations, art and sports fora, Kudumbashree auxiliary groups, women in various fields, and Kudumbashree three-tier network.
Various programmes will be organised at the district, panchayat, and neighbourhoold group level every week. In the first week, discussions will be held on ‘Dowry and violence’ in nearly three lakh neighbouhood groups and 19,542 auxiliary groups in the State. The following weeks will see poster campaign, social media challenge against dowry, video making and promotion through social media, wall-painting campaign, webinars for college students, opinion survey on dowry, two-wheeler rally, balasabha, cartoon series, and signature campaign.
Minister for Local Self-government M.V. Govindan has urged women and youth to come together to stand up against dowry, harassment, and biases against women. If women and youth decide that they will not give or take dowry, it would lead to a huge change, he said.
‘Sthreepaksha Navakeralam’ will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Kanakakkunnu here on Saturday. Minister for Animal Husbandry J. Chinchurani, Minister for Social Justice R. Bindu, Minister for Women and Child Development Veena George, and actor Nimisha Sajayan will be present.
An international conference with participation of prominent people working for women’s empowerment will be organised as part of the valedictory of the campaign. Pro-women action plans from all districts will be presented at the conference.
Even after the campaign ends, Kudumbashree will continue to focus on programmes based on gender equality.
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