In an exclusive interview with TOI, UNESCO's director general Bokova said "India needs to work with boys and use them as advocates of gender equality."
"We need a strong political leadership in India for the well-being of girls. We can change mind sets through education - both formal and non-formal. Educating men will make them advocates of change and help them self-identify with issues of gender equality which will liberate not only women, but also men, from prescribed social roles and gender stereotypes," Bokova said.
Bokova wll have her first bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Paris on April 10.
Calling on India's civil society to voice their anger at rapes, Bokova said the recent documentary India's Daughter shocked her.
The documentary based on an exclusive interview of Mukesh Singh - one of the main accused in the notorious Delhi gang rape in 2012 who is on death row shows him saying that a "girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy" and that that "women who went out at night had only themselves to blame if they attracted the attention of gangs of male molesters".
According to Bokova, India needs to create "safe schools and an enabling environment to keep girls in school" which will greatly reduce incidents of rape and child marriage.
India has more adolescents out of school than any other country in the world, said Bokova.
Bokova told TOI "India needs to have a gender sensitive environment. Men in India need to understand that the safety of women is for their own well-being. The recent rapes in India shocked me and it is important we speak out against it. Violence against women happen in all types of society be it developing or in developed countries. Only when we speak out does the civil society wake up."
Bokova added "boys can prevent rape. I will ask PM Modi to have programmes to train men and boys to stand up for women and prevent violence against them. I have deep respect for PM Modi's position where he has made welfare of the girl child and her protection as a priority. India is a universe in itself, incredibly diverse and a leader in the global arena. If India succeeds in protecting its women, the whole world will go forward."
According to Bokova, keeping girls in schools is the best initiative to counter early marriage and pregnancies. "Free text books, integrating more female teachers and focussing on rural girl's well-being will help India keep girls in school."
Modi will visit UNESCO's headquarters on April 10 to meet Bokova and address the diplomatic community, private sector representatives and UNESCO's Paris-based goodwill ambassadors.
Worldwide, almost 1/3 of all women who have been in a relationship have experienced some form of violence by an intimate partner.
http://ift.tt/1y8E5Lb Modi,Bokova
Stay updated on the go with Times of India News App. Click here to download it for your device.
0 comments:
Post a Comment