Fatorda: There are serious socio-cultural challenges and traditional mindsets coming in the route of success for women said Resident Editor of Gomantak Times Shashwat Gupta Ray, on Saturday. He further said that the society takes ownership of a woman’s entity, controlling her place in the society.
Speaking as the chief guest, Gupta Ray was addressing young girls and women at a Rights Awareness programme held at Fatorda. The programme was organised by Evescape Women's Collective in association with Matruchhaya Balika Kalyan Ashram.
"Women have been conditioned by a societal mindset that is regressive and many women find it difficult to break away from the age-old shackles," he stated while appealing to women to take affirmative action in teaching their sons to respect women and encourage daughters to break the glass ceiling and not to teach them to be submissive.
"Discrimination begins at home and we should fix the problem at our homes," he opined. Gupta Ray expressed concern that genuine cases of rape and violence against women are not reported. "Many times genuine cases do not get reported and fail to get justice due to insensitivity of the judges, police and other stakeholders who ultimately come from the same society which is traditionally orthodox in nature. Time has come to change the world. Regressive minds need to undergo a change," he said while delivering the key note address.
In an interaction with the Ashram inmates, Gupta Ray welcomed the young girls with talent to come forward and use the platform of Gomantak Times to get their artwork published. Women and child rights' activist Auda Viegas spoke on the rights of women. She also explained in detail the objective of the one stop centre (OSC) called Sakhi established in both districts of Goa under the Directorate of Women and Child Development.
Prominent among those who participated were educationists Varsha Naik and Suzan Vaz, lawyers Sphurti Kothare, Harsha Naik and Ashma Sayed, writers Sharmila Prabhu and Swarupa Shiknis, Youtuber Maria D Costa, students Cassy, Sakshi and Avira, social reformer Alka Damle and Mohini Paroolkar, and psychologist Shobika Jaju. The programme was convened by independent journalist Rajeshree Nagarsekar. Earlier, Gupta Ray was felicitated with the Evescape Agent of Change award.