Kanchanpur, December 4

Deputy Speaker of Sudurpaschim Provincial Assembly Nirmala Badal Joshi said illiteracy was the main cause behind the spiralling violence against women.

She made the remark at an interaction organised by National Haliya Liberation Society, Kanchanpur, in the course of the 16-day activism against gender-based violence at Bhimdattanagar yesterday.

‘Generation of Equality: Solidarity for Efforts against Rape’ has been set as the main slogan of the drive against violence.

Gender-based violence will be reduced only when an educated society is built, she added. “The freed Haliyas (previous bonded labourers) and Dalit communities which have suffered several social oppressions have still not emerged from the painful life,” the deputy speaker said.

“Women should not bear violence,” she said, calling on them to protest against violence by reaching out to the judicial mechanism.

She suggested that women who survived violence against them should go for legal recourse as cases of domestic violence are most likely to end up in mediation when addressed at the local level.

Freed Haliya leader and former parliamentarian Hari Shreepali said discrimination against freed bonded labourers was still prevalent in society.

Chairperson of National Haliya Liberation Society Kanchanpur, Shivi Luhar called for efforts to rehabilitate freed Haliyas in society.