Lucknow

Campaign Contact: Ravi, 9415762609; Mamta, 9450642546; Shakeela, 9452016503
D.V. Act Protection Officer: Ms. Gulzar Ibrahim, Dy C.P.O.

27 Nov. to 7 Dec.

Games and Interactive Activities, Performances, Stickers and Posters!

Stall #C-217 @ Lucknow Mahotsav

UPDATES
9 December
21 lawyers attended a meeting at Arif Castles to discuss the legal issues surrounding proper implementation of the DV Act. The chief guests included the retired Judge of Family Court Tripathy, Ankita Shukla of Civil Court Junior Division and Jasveen, an activist. The discussion focused on the key roles of advocates and other legal experts in ensuring proper usage, not misusage, of the DV Act. Mr.Tripathy emphasized the progressive nature of the DV Act, as it defines Domestic Violence, "not only in the Marital Home but also within the Maiden Home of a woman." Other participantsdiscussed the limitations in the infrastructure intended to implement the act: often those individuals appointed to the roleof Protection Officer (PO) are already overburdened with work at their current post. There is a need for more POs in all districts of U.P. Ms. Shukla also cleared up the frequent myths and wrong notions surrounding the DV Act.

8 December
“A doctor’s office is one of the safest places where a woman once in a life time comes; hence it’s our duty to identify the problems that women face and give them the essential treatment they need” said Dr. Abhijit Das, Director of the Centre for Health and Social Justice, New Delhi and Clinical Assistant Professor of the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA, at a Doctors’ Dialogue that was held today in Lucknow as part of the Ab To Jaago Campaign. Dr. Manju Aggarwal, Director of the Amity Institute of Behavioural and Applied Sciences, Amity University Lucknow, also attended the programme as the Chief Guest and spoke about domestic violence as a key health problem. The dialogue was attended by doctors and medical students from different parts of Lucknow.

7 December
50 women attended a dialogue on the DV Act and received campaign materials in the Gosaingang area of Lucknow.

5 December At a Theater Festival organized in the AP Sen Degree College in Lucknow, girls from different Colleges performed plays on violence against women. One of the plays performed, called Gautan, shared the stories of 5 different families belonging to different socio-economic groups. Although the families were from different classes of society, they all faced a common problem - the women of all 5 families were suffering from domestic violence. IPTA also performed a play based on the novel ‘Panch Parmeshwar’ by Munshi Premchandra. The play dealt with the many atrocities committed against women. A final part of this event was an exhibition where material on domestic violence was put on display.

3 December
A seminar on the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 was given by Jashodhara Dasgupta and Arundhati Dhuru to more than 100 participants-both students & teachers-of the Department of Mass Comm., LU. It was followed by a question and answer session that allowed the participants to clear up any myths that they had heard about the Act.

1 December
Ab To Jaago Campaign events took place in 3 locations across Lucknow. At the KKC Petrol Pump volunteers distributed material & information on the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. At in the Mahila Degree College, a lecture on the DV Act 2005 was followed by a discussion among student participants. Finally, Guru Nanak Degree College held a film show in which two documentaries focused on survivors of Domestic Violence were shown: Bol & Nasreen O Nasreen. After the film show a small discussion took place where many students actively shared their views.

30 November
At the Lucknow Zoo, youth carried posters and Domestic Violence informational materials to reach the zoo-going crowd. In the Department of Women’s Studies, LU, a Poster Competition was held in which male and female students from various departments participated.

29 November
DV Act 2005 was discussed at a dialogue held today with the teaching staff of Lucknow Model School. Teachers were informed about the Act and allowed an opportunity to discuss. While initially there was some disagreement among the teachers about the merits of the DV Act, the teachers ended the dialogue in support of the Act and of the campaign.

28 November
Youth volunteers participated in a Road Show on the street outside of Sahara Ganj Mall in order to grab the attention of shoppers and promote the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005. The volunteers carried banners and posters, handed out pamphlets, and initiated conversations on the issue with passersby.

27 November
In Naubasta & Khadri, a dialogue on domestic violence was organized, and at the Makkari ma Mela in Daliganj, pamphlets were distributed and discussions on domestic violence were held.

25 November
The International Day of Action Against Violence Against Women was celebrated through cultural expressions in Lucknow as part of the Campaign Ab To Jaago. Approximately 250 people from all parts of Lucknow came together for a reading of feminist poetry and a performance of the powerful play AURAT at Rai Umanat Bali Hall. Powerful and moving poems about women, gender discrimination and violence were recited by reknowned poets of Lucknow including Dr. Ranu Unyal, Neelam Singh, Alka Pandey, Manoj Pandey, Rooprekha Verma and Ugra Nath Nagrik. The play AURAT directed by Veda Rakesh used movement, music, humor and drama in order to evoke the fear, stress, shame and embarrassment casued by sexual harrasment and violence against women. Through these artistic mediums, the event highlighted the important social and emotional implications of violence. The programme was anchored by Shakila Begum who gave an overview on the objectives and upcoming actions of the 16 day campaign, and retierated that although the DV Act has been passed by government,community support and proper implementation of the Act is crucial to protecting women's lives.

24 November
The talk show on FM Rainbow - All India Radio had Risha Sayeed, a feminist lawyer, highlight the aspects of the law for listeners, and several people phoned in with questions. She explained that it was not a criminal law and using it did not mean that male family members were being sent to prison by women of the household. She explained that it was meant to deter male family members in the natal as well as marital home from committing any act of emotional, physical, sexual or other forms of violence against any girls or women of the family, or even any minor male member. The magistrate’s order was a restraining order, but police action was a possibility if the order was not obeyed.Some women and men who phoned in asked questions regarding their own problems. A young woman narrated how she was in love with a man from a different caste and was facing a lot of family pressure to discontinue the relationship. Another young woman who had been married earlier this year was weeping as she narrated how her marital family was harassing her for dowry and how she felt they might actually kill her. A young man asked how he could get more help for his sister whose marriage resulted in so much violence that she needed treatment for severe mental trauma. Risha also got questions asking about local organizations that could provide help and she mentioned HUMSAFAR the Support Centre for Women in Lucknow. The talk show ended with a reference to the UP Campaign Ab To Jaago.

23 November
The Press Conference on 23 November at the UP Press Club was attended by reporters from almost all major newspapers, who were addressed by a panel of speakers. This included Dr. Roop Rekha Verma of Saajhi Duniya, who launched the Campaign Poster and spoke of why this Act came into being. She was followed by Niti Saxena of AALI who explained some little known aspects of the Act. Rashmi Sinha of Mahila Samakhya highlighted what her organization was doing to spread awareness of the Domestic Violence Act and Ravi Jeena informed the media of the large scale campaigning in 41 districts that would create a public momentum during the 16 Days of Activism until 10 December.

Programme

23 Nov. Press Conference 2:30-4:30 pm Press Club
24 Nov. Live Talk Programme 10:00-11:00 am FM Rainbow
24 Nov. Announcement on F.M Rainbow 8:30 am
25 Nov. Drama by IPTA 3:00-6:00 pm Rai Umanath Bali Auditorium
25 Nov. Announcement on F.M Rainbow 8:30 am
26 Nov. Community Meeting 10:00 am-5:00 pm Mahmudpur, Gosaiganj
27 Nov. Pamphlet Distribution at Mela 5:00-6:00 pm Daliganj Bridge
28 Nov. Road Show 3:00-5:00 pm Sahara Ganj
29 Nov. Dialogue with the Teaching Staff of Lucknow Model School
Lucknow Model School, Indranagar
30 Nov. College Programme Lucknow University
30 Nov. Road Show where approximately 200 youth will participate. 12:00-2:00 pm NBRI, Lko
30 Nov. Community Meeting 11:00 am- …. Banthara, Purahi khera, Lko
1 Dec. Film Show AP Sen Degree College, Lalkuwan, Lko
2 Dec. There will be a Discussion on Domestic Violence in the slums of Lucknow
3 Dec. Seminar in Lucknow University 11:00 am- …. Dept. of Mass Communication department L.U.
4 Dec. Community Meeting 10:00 am-5:00 pm Sitaram Purva, Lko
5 Dec. & 6 Dec. Theater Festival AP Sen Degree College, LkoTheater Festival APSen Degree College, Lko
7 Dec. Community Meeting 10:00 am-5:00 pm Virampur, Lko
8 Dec. Discourse with Doctors (To be finalized)
9 Dec. Discourse with Bar Association Arif Castle
10 Dec Rally & Cultural Programme.
There will be Cultural Programme by IPTA & the Cultural team of Azamgharh.
Girja Vyas, Chairerson of the NationalCommission for Women to attend.
10 Dec Announcement on F.M Rainbow 8:30 am

Jalaun

UPDATES
December 8
Gram Pradehan attended the Ab to Jaago community meeting as the Chief Guest.

7 December
A meeting was organized at an Inter College.

6 December
A meeting on the Prevention of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 was held in a school.

5 December
A communtiy meeting and candlemarch were held.

4 December
Local NGO partners attended a community dialogue, and over 150 people attended meetings held in 3 colleges.

29 November
The children of Jalon were educated about the DV Act during a meeting organized in a school.

27 November
Wall painting was carried out by at least 100 participants.

5 November 2007 Campaign Planning Meeting

Campaign partners shared the progress they have made in seeking out venues and participants for the many planned events throughout the 16 days of activism.

Campaign publicity materials were shared with the group, and partners decided on a method for distributing the materials in each of the targeted 40 districts. As part of the strategy, distribution of the materials will coincide with the collection of signatures from individuals supporting the DV Act.

As the campaign kick-off date approaches, partners listed the various permissions and confirmations required to finalize the different programs. In order to have Doordarshan cover an event, they must be notified at least 2 days in advance. To run any public event in the city, they must obtain permission from city authorities 15 days beforehand.

Partners also determined the various routes to follow for the public marches. The November 25th Mashal Procession will run from Parivartan Chowk to Vidhan Sabha. The Candle March on November 27 will take place from Daligang to Daligang Chauharah. The Rally on December 10 will start from Vidhan Sabha and will close either at Bal Vidya or at Ravindralay.

Many other events are being planned and final details will be shared at the next meeting- 3 p.m. on Tuesday, November 13. A confirmed schedule of events will also be finalized and posted following this meeting. On Monday, November 19, a state-level meeting will unite representatives from all 40 districts to assure the whole state is connected for the 16 days of activism.

29 October 2007 Campaign Planning Meeting

At today’s DV Act Campaign planning meeting, campaign partners made more progress on preparing for the 16 Days of Activism events.

First, the group members gave updates about progress made on tasks assigned at the last meeting. The materials for the campaign have been finalized and will be sent to the printer on November 2nd. On October 26th, Ravi, Mitashri and Shakila went to Doordarshan and proposed to have a talk show there on November 23rd and 24th. They will have another meeting with the partners in Doordarshan on November 3rd or 4th to discuss this further. Oxfam will arrange a street play with a team from Jokera, Azamghar. The script is being prepared, and after finalizing the script, the team will perform in several districts of UP. Mamta told the group that she was not yet able to talk with the Rajya Suchna Vibhag because the concerned person was out of town. However, Mamta will try to contact this person when s/he returns. Lastly, Shruti shared a newly-published issue of “Hinsa Mukt Juvan Sabka Adhikar” with the group.

Following the updates, the group discussed ways to increase people’s awareness of and involvement in the campaign. To get others involved, the group decided to create a poster describing the campaign activities that will take place in Lucknow. Sanjukta of AALI and Shruti of Oxfam will prepare this poster. Mahendra volunteered to send brochures and other materials about domestic violence to people who wish to get involved. The group also discussed radio announcements, and Amit of SAHAYOG said he would follow up with FM Rainbow before the end of the month.

The group then discussed plans for the campaign kick-off events. It was decided that a press conference will be held at the Press Club on Friday, November 23rd. Susheela of SAHAYOG will be in charge of coordinating the press conference. The group agreed that they need to develop a program for the kick-off weekend events which lists the different events and when they will take place. Sudha of Humsafar and Amit of SAHAYOG volunteered to work on this event program and also told the group that there is a team that can help with the street play and the script. It was decided that there will be a candlelight demonstration on Saturday, November 24th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Parivartan Chowk. At the demonstration there will be two banners and display boards. Ajay will help organize the candlelight demonstration and the materials. On November 25th, the campaign will host a film screening. If possible, the group would like to have Nandita Das, Rahul Bose, Jeved Akhtar or Farukh Shekh attend the screening, and Shruti volunteered to invite them. The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion with panelists including famous personalities from Lucknow. SAHAYOG will provide the DVD and will arrange to get the screen from NAZ, and AALI will arrange for the LCD. The group discussed possible venues for the film screening and narrowed it down to three options: Ravindralaya, Ganna Sansthan, or Gandhi Bhawan. Sanjukta will contact Ravindralaya, Shruti will contact Ganna Sansthan, and Mamta will contact Ghandi Bhawan.

The next meeting will be held at 3:00pm on Monday, November 5th at the SAHAYOG Office

25 October 2007 Campaign Planning Meeting

Today the DV Act Campaign held another successful planning meeting. During the first part of the meeting, the partners reviewed and discussed the poster designs and slogans to be used in the campaign. It was decided that the posters should give a positive message to show that the DV Act was passed into law in order to promote women’s rights and freedom from violence, not to cause harm to men or families. During the meeting, two of three slogans were finalized: “For better life, for happy family life,” and “This Act is not a law against men or family, rather it seeks to give women full rights to a life free from violence.” An artist who is working with MASVAW volunteered to help make sketches for the posters.

The group also discussed other logistics of the campaign, including publicity, sponsorship and the inauguration event. It was suggested that the partners talk to many different media outlets to publicize the campaign and spread the campaign’s message. One of the women who is helping to coordinate the campaign spoke to some government officials in Lucknow and got their approval to use some billboard space to put up the campaign posters. However, the campaign partners must first get CM Mayawati’s permission before they can move forward. The group also decided that they want to find a corporate sponsor for the campaign. Lastly, the group brainstormed ideas for the inauguration event, and decided to kick off the campaign by screening “Provoked,” a movie about a violent relationship starring Aishwarya Rai. They also decided to invite a celebrity speaker to talk about the domestic violence act after the movie screening. The group will need to book an auditorium for the campaign kick-off event, and will also send out cards to invited guests.

Healthwatch Forum, MASVAW and Youth-For-Change volunteered to coordinate activities such as a candlelight vigil, roadshows and one-act plays as part of the campaign.

The next campaign planning meeting will take place on Monday, October 29th at 4pm at the SAHAYOG office.