Celebrating South Asian Women s Day November 30, 2015

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1 Celebrating South Asian Women s Day November 30, 2015 I. Background South Asian Women s Day (SAWD) is celebrated each year on the 30 th of November. Sangat first marked the day in 2002 and it has been celebrated each year since as a part of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign. On SAWD, Sangat partners and other civil society organizations across the South Asian region hold events to commemorate South Asian women who are working for or have worked for peace, justice, human rights, and democracy in the region. These events engage women, men, girls, and boys in dialogue around these key issues as well as on the importance of regional solidarity. In the evening, candles are lit across the region as an expression of solidarity and unity, and as a collective, peaceful demand for peace, justice, human rights, and democracy. II. The Importance of Solidarity The people of South Asia share a common social, economic, and political history as well as common cultures, languages, and arts. Dogmatic beliefs, divisive speech, and opportunistic politics have sought to create chasms amongst our nations and encourage prejudice and violence. But, these similarities cannot be extinguished; they bind us and create the foundation for solidarity. South Asians, particularly South Asian women, also share common challenges. These challenges are unique to the region, and include rising levels of poverty, widening income gaps, increased militarization, human rights violations, and disturbingly high levels of violence against women and girls. For example, South Asian women and girls face very specific manifestations of violence such as dowryrelated attacks, sex-selective abortions, and caste and religion based violence. Our similarities create the foundation for our solidarity and our solidarity is mighty enough to vanquish our common challenges. Through solidarity, we can learn from each other s successes and failures. Through solidarity, we can encourage each other to march onwards when hope begins to falter. Through solidarity, we can inspire others and encourage our families, communities, and society to join us as we strive towards equality. And, through solidarity, we can collectively challenge and transform the systems and individuals that oppress us and bring about peace, justice, human rights, and democracy in the region. III. Celebrating SAWD on 30 November 2015 SAWD was celebrated across the region this year, in countries including Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan Bangladesh Sangat members, women s rights activists, cultural activists, NGO representatives, civil society representatives, students, and university teachers participated in a SAWD event at the University of Dhaka in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Oxfam GB supported the event. Approximately 150 women and 100 men attended, with hundreds of pedestrians who were passing by also joining for segments of the event. Participants chanted slogans, recited poems, sang group songs, and shared testimonies. Pop star Mehreen expressed her solidarity with the work and event and young star Armeen Musa performed three solo performances. Youth volunteer Tasnuva shared the history, objective and work of the One

2 Billion Raising Campaign with the audience. ActionAid's youth volunteer group `ACTIVISTA' held a danced to One Billion Rising s Break the Chain. The event ended with a candle light vigil. In the picture on the left, candles are lit to celebrate regional unity and solidarity. In the picture on the left, ActionAid s young group is dancing to Break the Chain.

3 In the picture on the left, event attendees have lit candles to commemorate SAWD. Gana Unnayan Kendra (GUK), in collaboration with the Amrai Pari Paribarik Nirjaton Protirodh Jot District, also celebrated SAWD in Gaibandha, Bangladesh. Approximately 185 women, 100 men, 70 girls, and 60 boys participated, including representatives from the We Can Student Forum, Manobadhikar Narri Somaj, media, civil society, and government. The celebration included a discussion meeting, cultural event, and candle light vigil. Mrs. Anjoli Rani Debi, representative of We Can District Alliance and Mohila Parishad in Gaibandha, inaugurated the celebration. She discussed the background and objectives of SAWD, the challenges that women continue to face, and what can be learned from these challenges. In the discussion that followed, speakers focused on a range of topics including: a) the discrimination and violence that women face at home and in society; b) violence against women is a crime; c) one must change one s own discriminatory and violent attitudes towards women; and d) one much actively work towards transforming others negative attitudes about violence against women and girls. Uddichi Silpigosti of Gaibandha District organized a cultural program. Following the presentations, inspiring songs were sung to bring about awareness on women s rights and violence against women. Finally, Anjum Nahed Chowdhury Lucky, Director of GUK, closed the event by stating that the programme was held at night because they believe that it is the darkness in the human mind that has created obstacles for the advancement of women. Event attendees offered very positive feedback about the event. They stated that, these kinds of initiatives bring about a positive change with regard to gender equality at home and in society. The event was published in a local newspaper of Gaibandha, Ajker Janogon.

4 India A SAWD event, facilitated by Sangat and Jagori, was held in Delhi, India. Thirty young women and men 19 young women and 11 young men from Bawana, Khadar, and Badarpur districts attended. This event offered these youth an opportunity to explore the concept of regional solidarity. First, the youth sang a number of songs through which they celebrated equality. Next, Kamla Bhasin gave an (video) address on the reasons SAWD was initiated, why regional solidarity is important, and how SAWD is celebrated across the region. Then, Suneeta Dhar gave an address that offered these youth an opportunity to explore the definition of words such as solidarity, and what it means to work collectively towards ending discrimination and violence against women and promoting peace, democracy, and human rights. Following these, the youth were offered an opportunity to ask questions, which many did. These resulted in a lively, engaging conversation. A video on the life and death of Pakistani human rights activist Sabeen Mahmud as well as two videos on the One Billion Rising

5 movement were aired. Finally, candles were lit as a symbolic expression of solidarity with people in the region working towards peace, justice, human rights, and democracy. In the picture on the left, Suneeta Dhar is asking the young women and men what solidarity means to them. In the picture on the left, the young women and men have lit candles in solidarity with the people of the South Asian region. Swayam observed SAWD at the Rotary Sadan in Kolkata, India. A panel discussion titled Women, Democracy, and Human Rights in South Asia was organized. Professor Maidul Islam (Professor of Political Science at Presidency University, Kolkata), Natasha Ahmad (an independent consultant and researcher, working on issues of displacement and trafficked migrant workers) and Amit Chakravorty (Prior Secretary of the Pakistan-India Forum for Peace and Democracy) spoke about the situations in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, respectively. Dr. Kavita Panjabi (Professor of Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University, Kolkata) moderated the session. Then, Gana Bishan sang songs of resistance and protest from various parts of the country. Finally, a candle light vigil was held for peace in the region.

6 Pakistan The Insan Foundation Trust celebrated SAWD through an event held at Bara Gali, Peshawar University Campus, in Peshawar, Pakistan. Sixty-seven students and faculty members from four universities across Pakistan came together to discuss the women s movement and struggle in the region. Twenty-two of the attendees were female and 45 were male. Participants were from a number of regions in the country including Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, GilgitBaltistan, FATA, and Azad Kashmir. Students read the bios of courageous South Asia women, including Sabeen Mahmud who was recently shot and killed for her human rights work in the country. A friend of Sabeen Mahmud also attended and spoke about her. Finally, a candle light vigil was held.

7 The event was very well received by attendees. Many noted that, as a result of this event, they were able to look at the issues discussed through women s eyes. Additionally, these individuals made commitments to celebrate South Asian women and to share what they learned with fellow students.