Delhi has become focus for an uprising by women against injustice, believes gender rights activist and playwright Eve Ensler who spearheads a global campaign to end violence against women and girls.
"I would actually say Delhi is the place which is finally telling the real story, where all the stories are coming out. While we keep hearing about massive violence against women globally, the people in Delhi, those in the media have been brave enough to tell the stories," Ensler said here today.
Ensler has championed the "One Billion Rising" campaign, a mass movement begun in February 2012 where one billion people across 207 countries, came forward to strike, dance and raise awareness to end violence against women and children.
Asked about Delhi's notoriety in the western media as a 'rape capital', Ensler said it was just a wrong definition.
"I think 'the West' likes to throw terms and definitions like these on places like Indian to make it feel like there is not so much violence in their own country," Ensler told PTI.
"...In the US one out of three girls are being raped and violated. The situation is the same in France or England. I have been everywhere in the world and I see the same story. Patriarchy is a world dominant system and the methodology that sustains it is violence it is true every where," she said.
The activist paid a visit to Aapne Aap Women Worldwide an anti-sex trafficking NGO and conversed with activists.
Ensler also pledged monetary support to Fatima and Kalam, two activists from the NGO who are fighting for the rights of sex workers so that they can "use the money to rise against the criminal activities of trafficking and violence."
Ensler feels that youth int he country had a major role to play in the nationwide uproar triggered after the brutal gangrape of a 23-year-old paramedic here on December 16 last year.
"It is the youth who drove the December 16 uprising and I feel like the youth are rising and I feel both men and women are really connecting to the issues of women. They just seem very strong, very powerful... I think when the youth really rises up in this country it will be unstoppable," Ensler said.
Previously at a separate event "Global and Local Linkages" organised by the Oak Foundation and the Ford Foundation Ensler spoke on "Visions of Gender Justice: Mobilising Resources" where she was in conversation with feminist Kamala Bhasin.
