A large number of women took to the streets in Meghalaya protesting against the rising number of crimes against women in the state, domestic violence and patriarchal mindset. The protest brought together concerns over women’s safety in public spaces, domestic violence, harassment and the freedom to dress without being subjected to unwanted attention or violence.
They raised concerns over harassment, domestic violence, missing women and cases that, they claimed, remain unreported. The objective is We are matrilineal society but that does not mean that there is no gender-based violence happening in Shillong. “We are so far from Delhi and Mumbai, we know that Women journalist are mishandled by the police and we should in all solidarity protest for women’s rights to dress the way they should. We are protesting for women’s rights.
Because of the dress they wear, nobody has the right to molest or even touch them just. The protest comes against the backdrop of 658 cases of crimes against women registered in Meghalaya in 2024, compared with 628 cases in 2023, according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data.
The protesters said the matrilineal identity of Meghalaya should not obscure the realities faced by women. Expressing views over the protest, a protester said, “We are a bunch of citizens, we are not part of any organisation. Women here also face same kind of patriarchal abuses as much as other places,” senior journalist Patricia Mukhim said.
