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Self-defence workshop organised by Green Tycoons and (right) counselling session at Oxford High School. Picture by Anup Bhattacharya |
Counselling sessions, developing martial arts skills, parenting skills and a plethora of other initiatives are being arranged for girls and women in the aftermath of the Delhi rape case. In course of these interactions, some startling revelations are coming to light. Many adolescent girls of a reputable English-medium school spoke up about the molestation and sexual harassment they face regularly at home.
Some are abused by relatives, others by friends and neighbours. This was revealed by some girl students from Class V to X of Oxford High School at a two-day workshop held on February 6 and 13. Rector and chairman of Oxford High School, Subhas Chandra Dubey, arranged for the workshop to build self-confidence among the young girls and teach them self-defence. “After the Delhi rape case, I felt that it was necessary to equip our girls with effective physical training and mental strength to fight what is wrong. It is unfortunate that our social system restrains girls from speaking up and protesting against something that is wrong,” said Dubey.
It was during the orientation programme held on the second day of the workshop that girls started speaking up about their trauma to psychological counsellor A P Khan. “While speaking to the girls from Oxford High School and other schools, I find that a large amount of sexual harassment comes from private tutors and close relatives. In such cases, it is important for parents to be more alert,” said Khan.
Teaching martial arts was another way to equip the girls with self-defence. Sensei Anil Kumar Ram taught some useful and effective tips to the women aged between 15 and 40, who attended a self defence workshop at Liluah’s Santinagar Colony on January 26. Green Tycoons, the organisation that campaigns for the environment in Liluah, organised the workshop for women of Liluah in association with Young Indians, another group of young social workers in Calcutta. While demonstrating some tactics Ram said: “Women have instant weapons close at hand like their nails, clips and pins which they can use in times of danger.
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