(Newswire.net — January 2, 2019) — A human chain measuring more than 380 miles long made by three million women in India sends a stronger message than most New Year posts.
Indian women raised their hands and voices against the tradition in their country that treats women as lower beings in favor of men.
Thousands of women in Kerala took a pledge to protect renaissance values and promote gender equality as they formed a ‘wall’ along a 385 mile long road that connects Thiruvananthapuram to the northern district of Kasaragod, the India Today reports. This wall may very well be the longest human wall ever made.
The protest was prompted by a Supreme Court verdict over women’s access to a prominent Sabarimala shrine in Kerala, the Hindu temple that is forbidden for women of “menstruating age.”
Since India’s top court overturned the ban in September, there have been frequent attacks on female visitors. The latest incident happened several days ago when a massive crowd of male pilgrims attacked two women and prevented them from reaching the holy site.
The hustle lasted for about 15 minutes, during which women pledged that they would “stand for equality” and “fight for secularism.”
This protest comes five years after the rape and murder of a student on a New Delhi bus which prompted authorities in India to declare fighting against violence towards women a state priority.
India is the most dangerous country in the world for women due to the high risk of sexual violence, forced labor and trafficking of human beings. This is the result of research conducted by Reuters, who talked with 550 experts on human rights.
According to the same report, the war-torn regions of Afghanistan and Syria are on holding the second and third position, followed by Somalia and Saudi Arabia.
The United States is the only western country among the top ten – more precisely in third place – when it comes to the risk of sexual violence and harassment.
According to a previous survey from 2011, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, India and Somalia were the most dangerous countries for women.
Experts point out that India has risen to the top of the list because it does not do enough to combat this monstrous behavior. According to the government, violence against women in this country has increased by 83 percent between 2007 and 2016, as illustrated by the fact that four rape cases are recorded every hour.