Punjab has decided to hold a special celebration on International Women's Day
Challenging the regressive stereotypes that women and children are supposed to stay behind closed doors after dusk, the Punjab government has decided to hold a special celebration on International Women's Day. Authorities will reserve a stretch of the main road in every district for various activities for women and girls of all age groups from 7:00 pm to 1:00 am on that day to organise various events.
The state government is trying to ensure that streets should be safe for the women and girls and their contribution to economic activity could be increased, Aruna Chaudhary, Minister for Social Security, Women and Child Development said. Women should not be stopped from taking up jobs that require them to travel after dark, she said.
With the theme #ReclaimPublicSpaces, the department has decided that on the intervening night of March 7 and 8 from 7:00 pm to 1:00 am a 6 km stretch of an arterial road in all district headquarters and major towns shall be reserved only for women and girls of all age groups.
The minister said that the activities on the road will include cycling, dance for a cause, impromptu flash dances, human chain, signature scroll to highlight the need for a gender-sensitive world in which no girl or woman suffers abuse or assault of any kind.
"If some women start using the streets after dark for work, leisure, recreation or fitness, more and more women will be encouraged to come out and reclaim those public spaces that were previously closed to them, despite their being equal citizens", she said
Saying that if such activities are held regularly, a culture of safe and bustling streets will be ushered in, she directed all district officers to live stream the events on all social media platforms.