Women's Day - Article

PRACHI SHAH: She is taking care of a girl child whom she has adopted (not physically) but through her friend's organization. "I give monetary contributions for the girl's education and upkeep. I feel every girl child should get basic education and support for primary needs so that in the future she can be independent," says Prachi.

Though the actor doesn't have the time to personally go and attend to the needs of the girl, as she is busy with her two serials and dance shows, Prachi's mother does proxy for her and keeps her posted on the child's needs from time to time.

RUPALI GANGULY: She stays in Worli and there are slums in the environment, where Rupali's mother regularly helps the dwellers with their problems. But personally Rupali does not intervene because of her bad experience, "Once I went to help a woman who was beaten up by her drunk husband. But after everything the woman tells me to mind my own business, it's her husband after all and that she can handle it."

The actor is very disturbed by the female infanticide, the clippings of which she viewed on Aaj Tak, where unwanted female foetuses were thrown into a river. She reveals, "I wanted to adopt a girl child to stay with me but the rules involved were very complex." It is learnt she sponsors some girls in orphanages but she would not like to talk about it herself.

KAMALIKA GUHA THAKURTA: "My maid of 9 years who cooks and keeps the house for me, was badly bruised one day because of her drunk husband who beat her black and blue. I kept her in my house till he came in search of her and told him he could go behind bars for his misdeeds," says Kamalika who made him understand that women too had rights.

She would like to create awareness among the lesser-educated women about their rights that exist and make use of them to avoid being exploited and treated badly. She feels, "even many educated women are not fully aware of their rights. If only these helpline numbers could be made easily accessible to them as a ready reckoner, it would certainly help."

RUSHALI ARORA: A Maharashtrian by birth, Rushali wants to make a difference to the women in her hometown in Konkan. She informs, "Out there, in the coastside of Konkan which is flourishing as a tourist destination, we are the natives but our women do the most menial of jobs. I want them to receive free education till graduation so that they can stand on their own feet."

She would also like to have the infrastructure to let each woman attain her goal, more job openings and self-employment.

PERIZAAD KOLAH MARSHALL: Recently, I ran the Mumbai Marathon for Committed Committee's Development Trust (CCDT) which works towards health and development of HIV-affected women and children and prevention of AIDS among sex workers in Kamathipura. I believe in enabling an environment for high risk mothers to reduce mortality rate among aids affected women and to prevent young girls from entering the flesh trade.

I would like to make rural women financially independent by offering housin facilities and education so that they are not at the mercy of their husbands.