Sisters join hands in the One Billion Rising Campaign

The Challenges

It was a bright day for those celebrating Valentine’s Day, but a gloomy evening that somehow expressed the pain and agony of women and children who are treated with violence. ‘Feeling for the other’ is one of the best qualities that are inherent in all women. Though they are voiceless in some parts of this violent world, they sense the possibilities of making it a better world.

Yes, it was a day of unity, of advocacy, a day that touched the hearts of our people. We joined hands with ‘Mothers and Daughters of Sri Lanka’ a group which works towards a better future for women and children. A good number of Good Shepherd sisters both from Sri Lanka and Pakistan, novices and candidates dared to speak out against domestic violence, sexual and physical abuse and emotional exploitation of women.

In Sri Lanka many women are battered and raped, sometimes even killed daily. Reports state that five girls are raped every day in Sri Lanka. But are we aware of and sensitive to the unreported sexual violence of women in our motherland?

The Message

I was a volunteer myself in demanding an end to this violence on the 14th of February through the One Billion Rising campaign which mobilized men and women across the world. “Good men beat eggs at home”, “I am a guy and I respect women”, “Don’t tell me how to dress, but tell them how to behave” were some of the slogans carried by young girls and boys. We were happy to observe that there were men and boys who stood there supporting this rising.

A Ray of Hope

Violence against women begins with violence against girls. In many countries this begins even before birth. Estimates suggest that there are more than 100 million ‘missing women’ as a result of sex-selective abortions. We stood there signifying a ray of hope that justice will be done at the commission on the status of women as the world gathers at United Nations Headquarters for the largest–ever UN assembly to end violence against women and girls.