JERSEY CITY, NJ: On Sunday, October 21, Manavi held its eighth annual Silent March. Manavi began conducting the Silent March in 2005 as a way of saluting South Asian survivors of violence during October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Participants included Manavi staff, volunteers, and concerned members from the community.
This year, Silent March participants marched on Newark Avenue in the busy South Asian business district in Jersey City carrying signs stating, “You have the right to live safely in your own home,” and, “It takes a community to end domestic violence,” among others. Signs were made in various South Asian languages such as Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, and Urdu in order to reach deeper into the community.
In 2011, Manavi launched a program, Bolo Behen, in collaboration with the Hudson County Rape Crisis Center to address the high volume of calls from Jersey City. During this year’s Silent March, Manavi supporters distributed information detailing Manavi and Bolo Behen’s services.
“In order to foster safe and healthy communities for all, it is imperative that each one of us take a stand against violence. The community’s silence around the issue perpetuates the cycle of violence and makes it difficult for women to speak out against abuse in their own homes,” said Manavi’s Outreach Coordinator, Vineeta Kapahi. She states, “Manavi’s Silent March not only raises awareness about domestic violence and available services, but also holds all community members accountable for enabling violence to continue.”
Manavi volunteer Chetana Guliani states, “[Domestic violence] transcends race, ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic backgrounds, age groups, and genders. It affects intimate partners, parents, and children.” Guliani says, “We need to put an end to it, collectively. The stigmatization of domestic violence is the first thing that must be erased – and it can only happen from spreading awareness and dispelling myths. That’s what we set out to do on Sunday. I think we changed some minds. ”
The event was extremely successful as it has been in previous years. Many passersby stopped to read signs and placards and asked questions about violence against South Asian women. Volunteer Amrita Minhas says, “I think that the Silent March most certainly achieved its goal of raising awareness, people were turning their heads as we walked by, taking pictures, sharing the flyers and telling us what great work we were doing.”
This event engaged South Asian community members in coming together in solidarity to tackle the often ignored issue of violence against women. Support and cooperation from the community coupled with the enthusiasm of the marchers gave way to making this a memorable event.
Manavi is a New Jersey based women’s rights organization committed to ending all forms of violence and exploitation against South Asian women living in the U.S. Established in 1985, Manavi was the first organization to specifically provide services for South Asian women (those descending from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka). Through a wide variety of programs such as culture specific supportive counseling, legal assistance through clinics and referrals, interpretation, support groups, and transitional housing, Manavi ensures that women of South Asian descent in the U.S can exercise their fundamental right to live a life of dignity that is safe and free from violence.
India Post News Service
Thank You For Your Vote!
Sorry You have Already Voted!
