School students come up with mural to raise awareness on women's safety

Kolkata: Students of La Martiniere for Girls, in collaboration with Swayam (a Kolkata-based feminist organisation), have come up with a mural on women's safety on Monday on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

"Famous singer Usha Uthup, along with the students, inaugurated the mural on the outer wall of La Martiniere for Girls on AJC Bose Road. We are thankful to Rupkatha Sarkar, principal of La Martiniere for Girls," said Sriya Satuluri of Swayam.

While the mural on the 160ft-long wall on AJC Bose Road comprises images and slogans on issues that

women want to be addressed,

it envisions the aspirations of the participants for a violence-free world where they can live freely without fear and restrictions.

Around 200 survivors of violence whom Swayam works with and 30 students from Classes VIII to XII of La Martiniere for Girls participated in the workshops held at Lawrence Hall on the school premises.

"Through numerous workshops, we tried to see how safety is perceived and experienced by the students and survivors of violence in their daily lives. For the past two years, we have been effectively using art as a creative tool to raise

mass awareness, be it through the wall of mural or an art installation to take voices of survivors of violence we work with to the community at large," Sriya said.