Volunteers dressed up as victims of Domestic Violence with wounds and bandages caught everyone’s attention at the Delhi Half Marathon. Men Welfare Trusts Demands Gender Neutral Laws.
Over hundred volunteers of a Delhi based NGO, Men Welfare Trust were seen raising their voice on issued related to men at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon’s Great Delhi Run.
Dressed up in all black, these men caught everyone’s eyes as they had made wounds, scratch marks, swollen eyes, bandages on their bodies done up by professional artists. The idea was to highlight the issue of Domestic Violence on Men and the absence of gender neutral laws that can protect men as well, when they are victims of domestic violence.
They carried placards with messages on rising male suicides, in-equality in laws, parental alienation etc and they marched shouting slogans raising their voice on the cause of men’s rights. The highlight of the group was two persons dressed up as bride and groom, showing the husband as the victim of domestic violence and the wife beating him up all the way.
One of the activist, Priyash Bhargava told us that they have been participating at the Delhi Marathon since many years now and every time they come up with a unique theme which becomes the center of attraction each year. This time the theme is Domestic violence on men and while most of the world has gender neutral laws and men are also protected if they are victimized, India has gender-biased laws and men has no protection if he’s a victim of domestic violence.
Inder, another core activist told us that laws such as Domestic violence act, 498a are so lopsided and prone to misuse that innocent men are suffering and many of them give up on their lives also. Instead of curbing the misuse of laws, now another draconian and easy to misuse law of Marital rape is on its way which has the potential to be blatantly misused to settle scores and cash in from failed marriages.
The NGO runs an all India helpline for men in distress 8882498498 which receives thousands of calls from men across the country, who have been implicated falsely in matrimonial disputes, sexual harassment or false rape cases. They offer free help and support to these men who are struggling to prove their innocence.
Men Welfare Trust (MWT) is not for profit, self-funded, self-supported volunteer based registered NGOs, working towards rights and welfare of Men and Families.
We are proud to be part of a conglomerate of about 50 NGO’s across India under the aegis of “Save Indian Family (SIF) Movement”, the men’s rights movement of India. SIF has been working for Family and Marital Harmony since 2005. Over these 14 years, we have connected and helped lakhs of families directly or indirectly through our free weekly support group meetings, counseling through helplines, Online groups, and other volunteer based groups across India and even overseas.
SIF runs the biggest and the only “All India Helpline for men in distress” (SIF One) 8882 498 498 which receives over 5000 calls each month.
