On the eve of International Day of Peace (World Peace Day) i.e. 20th September, 2018 Peoples’ Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) is organzing honor ceremony for the female survivors of torture at Hotel Kamesh Hut, Lahurabeer, Varanasi. In the ceremony 13 survivors of torture from Sonbhadra and Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh will be honored. The Chief Guest of the program will be Swami Agnivesh, famous spiritual leaders, Swamy Aryavesh President Sarvadeshik Sabha and Manohar Manav, social worker.
This year theme for the U.N. Peace Day is “The Right to Peace – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70. The theme celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. http://www.un.org/en/events/peaceday/
A peaceful society is one where there is justice and equality for everyone and without the participation of the women there can be no sustainable stand against injustice, exploitation, atrocity, inhuman acts and communalism. http://www.pvchr.net/2018/05/14/women-folk-school-on-neo-dalit/. Peace will enable a sustainable environment to take shape and a sustainable environment will help promote peace.
Due to many reasons, torture is often under reported among female survivors. Women seek less support and remedy, often due to lack of awareness about their own rights, complex legal system, societal barrier and cultural reason.
The impact of torture on female survivors extends beyond the immediate physical and psychological pain. It deeply effects the personal identity of victims and affects their ability to sustain familial and social relationships, pursue employment and maintain daily routines. Female torture survivors are poorly prepared for the risk of torture, they tend to have a greater amount of psychiatric and psycho- social problems and ineffective coping mechanisms as compared to males who have experienced similar torture.
In addition, fear and shame from their experiences can persist, giving rise to isolation once they relocate. All of these factors play into the fact that women torture survivors can have a greater number of social problems, negative coping strategies, and experience the impact of fewer resources for their livelihood as compared to their male counterparts.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Rashida Manjoo, explained in her 2010 report: “[E]ven when women are subjected to the same violations as men, their pre-existing socio-economic and legal status and the cultural meanings surrounding the construction of the male and the female in patriarchal societies may cause different ensuing harms for men and women.” https://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/14session/a.hrc.14.22_aev.pdf
PVCHR Founder and CEO Lenin Raghuvanshi says, “Without eliminating locust effect of torture and organized violence linked with hegemonic masculinity it is impossible to create sustainable peace. It is clear that peace without justice is culture of silence with impunity.
Within PVCHR the rehabilitation program for the female survivor focus on three things”.
- Justice to the survivors: PVCHR is assisting more to female survivors from lodging FIR till the survivor gets justice to prevent any type of gender discrimination.
- Social integration:Through the continuous follow-up, folk school and honor ceremony PVCHR is helping for the female survivor to re-integrate in the society such as Kajari Festival etc.
- Institutional reform: As the part of the rehabilitation policy PVCHR is also strengthening and assisting the institution such Mahila Thana (Women police station, Asha Jyoti Kendra, (http://ajkand181womenhelpline.thinkcomputers.in/AJK/Default.aspx)etc and women commission