The launch of the We Can campaign in Rajasthan that took place in Ajmer at the Vishram Sthali on the Human Rights Day on 10 December 2004 was divided in four parts. It opened with presentations of the panel members on the campaign issue. The second session was dominated by cultural programmes. In the third session, the participants were divided district-wise to strategise the future plans of the campaign. The fourth part of the programme was a candle light procession through the heart of Ajmer and an oath-taking ceremony that drew the attention of the general public to the issue.

The participants consisted of students from various schools and colleges of Ajmer, the National Service Scheme (NSS) and NYK units of Jodhpur, Nagaur, Udaipur and Jaipur, and representatives from NGOs from Jodhpur, Nagaur, Udaipur, Kota, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Rajsamand, Churu, and Jaipur.

The organisations that took the lead at the inauguration were the Nehru Yuvak Kendra, Sophia Girls College, various NSS units of educational institutions, Government College, Government Girls College, Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti, Meera Sansthan and Oxfam GB (West India Office) Ahmedabad. Other organisations who also threw their strength behind this initiative were: the Sathin Union, Mahila Samooh, Akhil Bhartiya Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan, Garib Nawaz Mahila, Bal Vikas Samiti, Community Health and Development Programme (SASVIKA), and People’s Union for Civil Liberties. All these organisations will together with many others take the campaign forward.

The ceremony opened with presentations of the panel members on the campaign issue. The panel members included: Sayeeda Hameed, Member, Planning Commission; Mahaveer Singh, District Collector, Ajmer; Farhana Hafeez, Project Officer, Oxfam GB, Bangladesh; Madhupurna Joshi, Gender Advisor, Oxfam India GB, New Delhi; Anand Kishore Das, Programme Manager, Oxfam West India, Ahmedabad; Anita Bhartiya, Regional Coordinator, Nehru Yuva Kendra, Ajmer, and Indira Pancholi of the State Coordination Group.

Teresa Mathew, Member, Coordination Committee of the Rajasthan Campaign and Member, Sophia College Women’s Development Studies Cell, welcomed the members. Madhupurna Joshi, Gender Advisor, Oxfam India GB, New Delhi, presented the background to the campaign and underlined the fact that 50 million women are missing in South Asia due to violence against them.

Indira Pancholi, member of the Rajasthan We Can coordination committee, spoke of the abysmal condition of women in the state and touched on discrimination of girls and women in the form of foeticide, infanticide, poor nutritional status, inadequate education and health care and practices like dowry deaths and witch hunting.

In a moving and inspiring speech, the chief guest Sayeeda Hameed, said she was impressed to see youth from 17 districts of the state congregate at the venue on Human Rights Day to end violence against women. She said Ajmer was famous for its dargah, which is a symbol of religious tolerance as people from all faiths come to pray here. She hoped that the youth and all members of the community would show as much tolerance and support for women in the state.

The second session was dominated by cultural programmes. It was thrown open by Ranjit Gadhavi’s play Socho Kabhi Aaisa Ho To Kya Ho that was staged by a theatre group Madhyam of Gujarat. The underlying message of the play was that till women articulate their needs and their rights, change will not happen.

Puppet shows followed. Kajari from the Nehru Yuvak Kendra, Udaipur, presented a unique puppet show where the puppeteers used their legs to represent characters and deal imaginatively with themes like child marriage, dowry and female infanticide. A presentation from Nehru Yuvak Kendra Kota by Surya Prakash Meena using dastanas or hand gloves followed. It dealt with the theme of female foeticide.

Karuna Philip of the Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti sang songs and called them chetna geet or inspirational songs. She was joined by a group of youth who sang songs on justice, empowernment and gender equality. A play Zara Sochiyey by the theatre group Aap Aur Hum from Jaipur was staged. The play revolved around a 14-year-old-girl, Munni, who is stopped from going to school by her father and married off to a drunkard who treats her cruelly. She leaves her husband to return to her father. Her father realises the injustice done to Munni and atones by educating his grand daughters.

Bhavai, a form of traditional folk theatre of Gujarat that flourished in the 14th and 15th century AD became a powerful medium of communication at the event. Exploiting the tradition, the street theatre similarly used Rangla Raja, Rangli (a woman) and a narrator and to touch upon foeticide, infanticide, dowry deaths and violence against women. The final play was Kiran. It brought forth the tensions faced by a career woman. The session ended with the performance of a ghoomar dance.

In the third part of the programme, the students were divided district-wise into nine groups and each group debated on how to take the campaign forward. This session was conducted by Shipra Jha from Oxfam, Ahmedabad. The group from Ajmer strongly pushed for advocacy and the heightening of formal and non-formal modes of communication. The group from Chittorgarh suggested that far more youth be involved in the campaign and promoted the idea of cultural activities by the youth.

The Kota, Jhalawar and Bikaner groups felt links between NYKs, NGO’s, village panchayats and the local administration should be strengthened. The Churu district group called for the setting up of youth clubs so that the youth are sensitised to these issues. The Tonk and Jaipur group felt that the government and NGOs should work in close coordination and have programmes that work with the youth in schools and colleges. A candlelight procession and oath taking ceremony concluded the session.