College students learn about laws for women’s protection

‘True safety is not just about having laws, it is about empowering every woman to live without fear’ was the message given during the one-day ‘Workshop On Laws For Protection of Women’, organised by Internal Quality Assurance Cell of Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Shimla, in collaboration with the Department of Women and Child Development today. About 350 students of schools and colleges of the state’s capital participated in the workshop.

The event began with an address by Principal Dr Anurita Saxena. It was followed by a declamation competition on “Safety of Women in 21st Century.” The girl college students, in the competition, unanimously asserted that unnecessary sexualisation and objectification of women must be stopped immediately.

All agreed that safety of women must be ensured and stricter implementation of laws should be in place.

Students and accompanying teachers from government senior secondary schools and colleges in and around Shimla, including Himachal Pradesh University colleges, were present at the event.

The competition was followed by an interactive panel discussion, in which the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bhartiya Sakshay Adhiniyam (BSA) were discussed in detail. Discussions were also held on POCSO, Child Marriage Act 2006, POSH, Cyber Crime, Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 and Domestic Violence Act, 2005.Several cultural presentations and a skit by the host college were also part of the day’s roster. Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil was the chief guest at the event. Secretary (Social Justice & Empowerment) Ashish Singhmar was the guest of honour.

The Health Minister, while addressing the students, said moral values were the greatest strength one could possess, and there was a need to teach moral values to children from a young age.

“Degrees hold significance in life, but so do moral values. Being well-cultured helps in achieving your goals easily,” he said. He lauded the college for making efforts to educate the younger generation about legal matters. The minister highlighted various schemes and key initiatives aimed for the betterment of women and girls. Legal luminaries, mostly women, hailing from diverse services — administration, police, and education — were panellists at the workshop, and provided pragmatic information about the current laws and schemes for the welfare of women.