OWM Foundation Day: Shakti App A Game-Changer For Women’s Safety In Odisha, Says Deputy CM Pravati Parida

Bhubaneswar: The Shakti application will prove to be a game-changer in ensuring the safety of women in Odisha, feels Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida.

Delivering the inaugural address at the second foundation day of Odisha Women in Media (OWM), an association of over 200 female media professionals from the state, the Deputy CM said a rape survivor will no longer have to go through the ordeal of narrating what she went through before lawmakers and the judiciary.

“Instead, she can give her statement in the app which will be kept as a record… this recorded statement can be used in the court. Currently, she has to go through the trauma of narrating the heinous incident to her parents, police, doctor, advocate and judge,” Parida said.

She revealed that the state government is planning to set up an all-women court where judges, lawyers and peshkars will be women and where a rape survivor can speak without any hesitation or shame.

Parida rued that at a time when women are at the forefront of several organisations, their safety is itself a concern. Urging female mediapersons to carry out a safety audit of cities they live or work in through their work to identify how safe they are for women in the next one year, Parida said the state government will extend all help required for the purpose.

She also urged OWM to consider upskilling female journalists or help women who want to pursue journalism but aren’t able to do so because of financial constraints.

Sobha Surin and Sumitra Sahoo were felicitated with OWM Awards for excellence in journalism and presented a cash reward of Rs 5,000 each.

OWM’s annual magazine ‘Arohi’ was released by Parida and senior journalists Uma Sudhir and Alka Sahani, who were the chief speakers at the event.

Female entrepreneurs working at the grassroots like Bhagabati Sahu of Jajpur, Jayanti Maharana from Balasore, footballer Pusparani Bhuyan spoke about their struggles and successes in a special session.

In another session, Sudhir and Sahani spoke about various challenges and work scenarios for female journalists in India.

BMC Mayor Sulochana Das said female journalists have an important role to play in society.

OWM president Kasturi Ray delivered the welcome address, secretary Minati Singha shared the annual report of the organisation. OWM vice-president Sharada Lahangir gave the vote of thanks.