NE BUSINESS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, JULY 10
BJP national spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi, who wears many hats — Supreme Court lawyer, activist, Parliamentarian, and now, author. exhorted that all women should come together and fight against sexual harassment and domestic violence. Only by showing their solidarity and raising voice against oppression, a healthy and safe society, and a conducive environment for women at workplaces could be created.
She was recently sharing her thoughts while speaking on “Women in Politics and Law” via a Webinar with the members of the FICCI FLO – Ahmedabad Chapter, who have been working for women empowerment and financial independence.
The Supreme Court lawyer, who had fought and won for gender parity in the Armed Forces, said, “These days, we all come across news reporting sexual harassment, assault, and domestic violence. Every other person is interested to talk and discuss about these topics, but the real question is how do we put a full stop on these recurring incidents? How do we create a fearless society to live in? When I was a kid, these questions used to give me nightmares of what kind of society we live in and I never found any answers to my questions. When I became a lawyer, I realised that young women are vulnerable and they face this kind of harassment at their workplace as well. We should all come together, fight against this, and try to give a healthy and safe society and a better work environment for our female force.”
Reminiscing her childhood, she said, “I was a tomboy when I was a kid, always trying to be a Robin Hood and honestly, I was not aware, what the meaning of being a girl is. I’m grateful, that with time, I got several opportunities to work for our society and play a role in solving these unhealthy issues which still exist in our society.”
When asked about who she drew her inspiration from and who her role model was, she fondly remembered a powerful female force in her life who she always looked up to – her mother.
While sharing her thoughts and views about the Triple Talaq bill, she said, “I always wanted to fight against this, and then Case-“Shabanu” happened. During that time my husband voiced against the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, as he was the one who brought the law called ‘Protection of Muslim Women and Marriage Act’. Shabanu had raised questions about the maintenance of a divorced woman in the Muslim community. During that time I was pursuing my college education and decided to fight for this whenever I got an opportunity in the future.”
She further shared, “I may physically change with time but my mind is and will be the same as it was when I was a kid. It has been a life worth living and I feel blessed about it. Every woman should live her life, full of energy, and as if today is the last day of their life and do whatever she wants to do and become whatever she wants to be without any fear.”
When Taruna Patel raised the issue of increasing cases of domestic violence in the country during this pandemic, Lekhi said, “Domestic violence is a worldwide issue. It does not have anything related to the social status, any country, or any state; it is related to the emotional well-being of the men. The problem lies in the upbringing of men during their childhood by society.”
The discussion focused upon the narrative of women empowerment in the present era and how the change needs to be initiated at the grassroots levels.
During this session, FICCI FLO Ahmedabad unveiled its new initiative termed “Bonding Interest Group – The Power of Connect”, led by Aditi Parekh, Kiran Sewani, and Purva Damani.
The session was moderated by Aditi Parekh, and the vote of thanks was given by Sarita Sinha.
