GEORGE TOWN, Feb 14 – Members of the Penang Women’s Centre for Change (WCC) and World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) joined the ‘One Billion Rising – Strike, Dance, Rise’ campaign, a global movement to end violence against women and girls around the world.
About 60 volunteers from the two non-governmental organisations (NGO) started off the event with a dance to the tune of ‘Break The Chain’, the campaign’s theme song, as a symbol of protest against the oppression of women and girls.
“Violence against women and girls is unacceptable no matter what the excuse or circumstances, especially if its perpetrated by those who are supposed to protect us such as family members, friends or authority figures. It must be absolutely denounced,” said WCC vice-president Lalitha Menon to reporters here today.
‘One Billion Rising’ began as a call to act on the shocking statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet would be beaten or raped during her lifetime. Lalitha appealed to all levels of society to assist the helpless victims of violence by reporting the matter to the authorities.
WCC offers free counseling, temporary shelter and legal advice to women and girls facing such violent situations. The public may contact 04-2280342 or email wcc@wccpenang.org for further information.
BERNAMA
