“The day a woman can walk freely on the roads of India, that day we can say India has achieved Independence.” Mahatma Gandhi
Unfortunately, in his eyes India is yet to achieve independence. Crime against women and young girls in India is rising; there were 24,000 reported cases of rape in 2011 with a 9.2% rise over the previous year. Every 22 minutes a female is raped in India. Is it right for us to stand back and simply accept this as a social norm? No mother, daughter or sister deserves to be treated in such a way. It is time for us to break the silence and give women the respect they deserve.
The Delhi Gang Rape, caused the world to respond in outrage. Many have been angered and upset over the incident and it opened people’s eyes to the crimes which go unheard and unreported every hour, not just in India but all over the world.
We teamed up with the Big Hug Foundation to hold a Candlelight Vigil called ‘Save Our Sisters’ in honour of the rape victim and for women who are abused and assaulted every day. We hoped that this opportunity would allow us to pay respect and make our voices heard. On Saturday 5th January 2013 at the Gandhiji Statue in Tavistock Square over 300 people attended to pay respects to ‘India’s Daughter’ and help make a difference. Thank you to members from NHSF, Hindu Council UK, BOPIO, BAPS Swaminarayan and Swaminarayan Stanmore who also attended. Every half an hour a 2 minute silence was held to remember the brave girl and all victims of rape who cannot fight for justice.
Our aim was to try and create a voice to show our support for the injustice of women all over the world, raising awareness of the problems they face on a daily basis, and inspiring change. Our youth are our future; we have a social, moral and ethical responsibility to ensure the future of mankind does not accept the action of rape and attack as acceptable actions.
CARE holds a strong belief in providing education to underprivileged children. Giving them the opportunity that they would otherwise not have. We believe that if a child is taught life morals and ethics from a young age, they are more likely to learn to show respect towards others and in turn have a positive impact on society in the future. Please support us and spread the word to ensure every child has this opportunity.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela
