Speech Regarding Violence Against Women.
Respected Principal, teachers and fellow students.
It is indeed a healthy sign that women all over the world are waking up to their rightful place in the society. But much is still to be achieved. For example, violence against women is still practised almost in all male-dominated societies of the world. This aspect is deplorable in our country. Daily we read in newspapers how some wild people burn the brides for the sake of dowry, while some beat their wives under the effect of liquor on flimsy grounds. Life, in fact, is a great burden for our women. They toil from morning to evening like bonded labourers. When they are beaten on unreasonable grounds, the conscience of males is not pricked. No one treats them like human beings. The killing of female foetuses has been increasing. There are changes in the standard of living.
It is amazing that even after sixty years of independence, we come across cases of dowry deaths, killing of female foetuses, withdrawing of girl-students from schools and gender discrimination. The newspapers are full of such news. It is really terrifying that the sex ratio has been steadily declining in our country. On an average there are 892 females against 1000 males.
Women are discriminated against everywhere, though our Constitution guarantees equality in every walk of life. There are instances when women are paid less for the same work for which men are paid more and such things are never reported. Not only that, women are glamorized in advertisements. But underneath they are treated on an inhuman level. It is now the time that men must recognize the fact that women are no less than them in any way. There should not be any discrimination against them. We need to restore them their appropriate status in India.
I thank you. All of us look forward to strengthened collaboration from this moment to end violence against women and children.
