Interactive Session on “Making Chandigarh a Violence Free City for Women- Role of Urban Local Bodies and Citizens in Ending Violence Against Women in Chandigarh
The first Ward-level Interactive Session of the Project “Making Chandigarh a Violence Free City for Women” was held at Mahila Bhawan in Sector 38. Organised jointly by the Centre for Women’s Studies and Development, Panjab University and Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, the programme was co-hosted by Sh. Arun Sood, the Councillor for Ward -8.
Initiating the discussion Prof. Pam Rajput the lead researcher of the team from Panjab University, threw light on the rising violence against women and girls all over the county and especially in Chandigarh which despite being a planned city fares poorly on female safety. She stressed that a city which was not a safe city could not be a smart city.
Sh. Sanjay Tandon, President BJP, Chandigarh and Fellow Panjab University, Chandigarh lauded the effort calling it very timely and relevant. He lay emphasis on imparting the correct values as part of the education system to prevent the degeneration of society.
The programme was attended by more than 300 people from the ward, comprising representatives of Resident Welfare Associations, Market Committees, NGOs and concerned citizens. The citizens participated and contributed to the deliberations, sharing their experiences. A ward level Action Committee was formed to draw up an action plan for making the ward free from violence. The session was also attended by councillors from neighbouring wards. The project is sponsored by the British Deputy High Commission, Chandigarh and aims at localising the global agenda set by Sustainable Development Goals by making cities safe, inclusive and resilient
Sh. Arun Sood delivered the vote of thanks. He deeply appreciated the efforts of the team from Panjab University and promised to carry the task further and ensure that a Chandigarh that was safe for women would become a reality.