‘We Can’ End All Violence against Women, a global campaign, marked the symbolic representation of Shoe Memorial Ceremony in the remembrance of 50 million missing women of South Asia on Thursday.
The ceremony also initiates the series of events across the four provinces, marking the Global Movement of 16 Days of Activism for elimination of violence against women. These events include change maker (persons who pledge not to commit any violence against women) rallies, walks, mobile vans and press conferences.
A minute of silence was observed to pay homage to the missing women and their remembrance was attributed by candle vigil and flowers. The ceremony was attended by the members of civil society and youth groups from colleges and universities. The collected shoes (ladies worn out shoes) will be handed over to women in need through charity organisations.
Hajra Pasha, the national coordinator of WECAN Pakistan, said, “WECAN is working in collaboration of partners in 36 districts of Pakistan to bring core change in mindset regarding violence against women. Throughout the country, more than four hundred forty thousand people vowed not to commit any violence against the women and they are also disseminating this message to others.”” Neva Khan, the country director of Oxfam GB, stressed the need of a change in the mindset. “The WECAN campaign is aimed at behavioural change in elimination of discriminative attitude against women. It is a gradual process that is getting strength by time.”
She called upon political parties to play active role for legislation to eliminate violence against women from the Pakistan. ‘We Can’ End All Violence against Women is a global campaign, present in 14 countries around the world. It focuses strongly on non-acceptance of violence in all its manifestations aiming at engaging public opinion on the issue of violence by building mass awareness based on the underlying belief that personal attitudinal change becomes the agent for social change. It functions through its implementing partners in 36 districts and has over 440,000 change makers across the country. The campaign in Pakistan has built up a corpus of empathetic and committed individuals and groups who have spearheaded social transformation and work together through alliances to take the campaign forward.
