Violence against women 'rising' in Mizoram, we need collaborative effort: Minister

Aizawl, Nov 6 (PTI) Mizoram minister Lalrinpuii on Thursday said there was an "alarming increase" in the number of incidents of violence against women and called for a collaborative effort to tackle the issue.

Speaking at the launch of the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) solve project in her office in Aizawl, the social welfare, women and child development minister said the problem has raised serious concerns for which the state urgently requires a mechanism to mitigate it.

She said the state's Women Helpline recorded 3,094 cases of violence against women in the 2022-23 financial year, which surged dramatically to 12,750 by February this year.

"Our state needs a robust effort to tackle gender-based violence. If women are empowered, families grow rapidly, leading to the progress of a society," Lalrinpuii said.

The GBV Solve project aims at implementing innovative programmes to address gender-based violence, sexual harassment, and ensure gender equality.

Lalrinpuii said that it will not only focus on tackling violence against women, but also educate school children, both boys and girls, on gender equality.

The initiative will also include a skill development programme for women in need to help them gain suitable employment, she said.

The GBV Solve project, which is a joint initiative of 'Aparajita' and J-PAL South Asia, a research organisation that works on poverty alleviation, will be implemented in Mizoram by the Mission Foundation Movement (MFM).

The project has a focus area to end violence against women and was launched after two years of dedicated study.

According to officials, the MFM is among 6 organisations in the country which has been selected to implement the GBV solve project.

It will collaborate with Mizoram's women and child development department to implement the project in the state, particularly in Aizawl district, officials said. PTI CORR BDC