On October 8, a webinar on ‘ Gender Violence’ and ‘Responses of Institutions of the State’ was organised in the memory of a human right activist and an advocate, Girishbhai Patel. Prita Jha was invited to speak in this panel discussions along with other renowned speakers such as Dr. Indira Hirway( Director & professor of Economics, Center of Development Alternatives), Prof. Vibhuti Patel( PHD Economics, University of Mumbai), Dr. Jharna Pathak( Assistant Professor, Gujarat Institute of Development Research) Saroop Dhruv(activist, educator and poet), Mona Mehta (associate professor, School of Arts and Sciences Ahmedabad University), Sheba George(founder SAHR, women’s action and resource unit) and Renana Jhabvala, president SEWA Bharat.
The Covid-19 Pandemic has had a particular impact on women and added another layer of vulnerability to their lives. It was noted that gender based violence had increased during the time of crises and lockdown. Addressing the criminal justice system, Prita stated that, “Right from police not registering cases to poor investigation, women had to face all these legal challenges. Half of the cases are not investigated properly. The more vulnerable you are, the less likely your case will be investigated properly. Even the Supreme Court had noted that forensics where women had died were not done properly.”
The webinar provided an opportunity for the speakers to come together and discuss their individual experiences and empowerment strategies used to address gender based violence.
Peace and Equality Cell 