CAMPAIGNS: Kashmiri Women Launch Campaign to Push for Rights

A number of women in the Indian-controlled Kashmir have launched a campaign to fight for women's rights and push Indian authorities to try those responsible for human rights violations there.

For the last twenty three years, women in the Indian controlled Kashmir have been equally suffering the heat of conflict as men have, but a very little participation of women was observed in the political and social front. Until recently some women realized that if not politically but socially they can play their part. Some 50 women from all age groups have joined hands to press for justice in all those cases of rights violations that happened since 1989 and involved mostly women.

The first case chosen by the group was the mass rape case of nearly 100 women by Indian security forces back in February 1991. The group filed a petition in Kashmir high court and successfully after two decades of denial the court accepted it and ordered reopening and reinvestigation of the case. And this has boosted the confidence in these women.

With each passing day, women in Kashmir are becoming politically sensitive and many of them believe while women have suffered equally, their voice remained unheard because of their absence in the political and social front.

While this women's initiative has been highly appreciated, the group members believe there is a need for greater participation of women in all the fronts, so as to make ourselves heard.

In most of the human rights related cases that have happened in Kashmir, New Delhi has remained in a state of denial. These women believe the first step towards peace in the region would be delivering justice in all those cases.

Watch the video of Kashmiri women speaking about the campaign here.