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Category: INTERVIEWS/PROFILES

Published: 03 November 2017

SRINAGAR: Social activist and community organizer Tarana Burke created the phrase "Me Too" on the MySpace social network in 2006 as part of a grassroots campaign to promote "empowerment through empathy" among women of color who have experienced sexual abuse, particularly within underprivileged communities. Burke, who is creating a documentary titled Me Too, has said she was inspired to use the phrase after being unable to respond to a 13-year-old girl who confided to her that she had been sexually assaulted. Burke later wished she had simply told the girl, "me too".

After accusations against Weinstein surfaced in 2017, actress Alyssa Milano encouraged spreading the phrase as part of an awareness campaign to show the scale and ubiquity of the problem, tweeting: "If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote 'Me too.' as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem. Milano later attributed the phrase to Burke, calling Burke's story "heartwarming and inspiring.

This campaign has reached every corner of world through social media, especially Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It defined a path and provided a platform to the voices of women who have witnessed series of harassment, molestation or rape in their particular lives. No doubt, thousands of organization, Government bodies, judiciary, commissions and police forces are working for protection of women and girl child across the world. Still a daughter, mother, wife or sister have faced wrath of molestation in their particular lives.

Women is a mirror of society, crafted by Almighty to lead the society and decorate it with morals and values but same women is being raped or molested in broad day light in our country since 1973 and still we are waiting to witness a change in the laws for protection ad safety of women. Some of the cases which has been discussed in print and electronic media as well as in chambers of courts are as, but still the cries of victims are going louder and louder  1.Aruna Shanbaugh Rape Case 1973, 2. Mathura Rape case in 1972, 3. Priyadarshini Mattoo rape and murder case in 1996, 4. Anjana rape case 199, 5. Soumya murder and rape case, 6. Mumbai gang rape, 7. Bhanwari Devi Gang rape case in 1992, 8. Scarlett keeling rape and murder case in 2009, 9. Imrana rape case 2005, 10.Delhi Gang rape case 2012. 

These are just numbers. Hundreds of rape cases are being not registered or neither being heard, either victim feel threat to life or boycott from society. Still our society is working same. Harsh laws are still being debated in lobbies of parliament and a woman is crying for her legal rights guaranteed by constitution of India. She is not meant for Stalked, Abused, Molested or Raped. She has been sent by God, to get honor and respect”. 

Social media have helped a lot to popularize the campaigns regarding issues of Health, Environment, and culture or about women rights. India is known as divine land of versatile culture and respects towards women and rights to women, with safeguard by our constitution, but still in this era of nuclear technology, cyber security or freedom as well as liberty. Somewhere at every minute a women is being molested or raped. 

CEEOIndia , a voluntarily organization trying to fill the gap between people and government through a bridge and channelizing ideas of communication from people to government and government to people on policies, bills or opinions from people especially living in rural areas. 

With support from colleges, Universities, Girl schools, SHG members, small CBO’s, NGO’s, women lobbying groups and volunteers across India. The organization also tried to work on MeToo campaign and started to listen about the voices of millions of women across India. We started from south of India and landed in northern part of our beautiful country and at last we make our entry to the paradise of world and crown of our country India i.e Jammu and Kashmir.

The stories are not different from rest part of India but the spirit among youth to withstand as a shield of respect for every woman in the society spread a message of savior. No doubt molestation and eve teasing are working as parallel corridors and sensitization is the must need of hour among teens.

This story is a message to every women or a girl child across the nation that Tahmeena Rizvi, a young and determined graduate in Business Administration from University of Kashmir. She has completed her schooling from Tahira Khanm’s and Govt. Girls Higher secondary, listening her voice and a passion to work for community is itself a revolution. A dedicated UPSC aspirant and firm believer in women empowerment and livelihood make her claim stronger about equality and support to the women in our country. Her Father Shri Syed Ibrahim Rizvi, supported the daughter in her ambition to work for the women across the Kashmir province. “I believe in her and wish that she rise above the hallmark and lead the women of this society towards a prosperous journey of empowerment and livelihood”

Kashmir is indeed a beautiful place on the earth but somewhere a woman is dying because of autocracy, Family disputes, peer pressures , Molestation and even eve teasing. Our society is so man framed that sometimes to get the support of parents for standing up with a cause oriented for women issues, needs tons of strength.   I usually engage myself in visiting state women commission and imbibed by the great work done by smt. Nayeema Mehjoor, chairperson SWC-J&K, Iron lady of Jammu and Kashmir state and try to get first hand stories of victims, who have lodged their complaints for redressal or help in the commission. 

With launch of Metoo campaign and support from CEEOIndia by selecting my work and dedication as Women Ambassador for #Metoo campaign in association with SAARC Union as well as support from both state and central government make me write more and more about stories of molestation faced by women behind closed doors in this beautiful place. With scope to connect with Ministry of Women and child development, I am very thankful to smt. Maneka Gandhi ji, Hon’ble union minister for women and child development, for listening grievances of women from Jammu and Kashmir state.  Our determined Hon’ble chief Minister Madam, Mehbooba Mufti is very much supportive in issues regarding women harassment and particularly in development of girl child education and her firm stand in providing financial assistance under Laadli Beti scheme to the new-born Girl child of our state. 

Metoo provided a platform to the millions of women to record their history of harassment and molestation and message has been spread to work constructively for the honor of women and I am very thankful to IWSLG, METOO Asia and Europe, CEEOIndia, Ministry of Women and child development, National women commission, state women commission, CM Office, Govt. of J&K, Jammu and Kashmir police especially women police cell for being so much supportive in listening my quoted grievances about cases regarding women molestation and I am thankful my friends, Teachers and parents for supporting me to stand up and raise my voices for the rights of women. “

Tahmeena Rizvi has been appreciated so far by different organizations and Government departments across the nation. Her work in the sector of women empowerment and livelihood has been submitted to the office of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, to recognize her small efforts to make the society safe and crime free for women in Jammu and Kashmir” we all wish her all the best for future steps and Metoo is verily doing its best to recognize the faces who are working for the future of Girl Child in our nation India.

 

The writer is a fellow social worker from SIU College in Carbondale, Vidisha Anand from Delhi University Project coordinator IWSLG, Tahseen Mustafa, PM to CEEOIndia, story narration Apoorva Balla FTI and village coordinator GH. Hussian from CEEOIndia HR Team.