Why atom bomb? End prostitution, says Iranian Nobel laureate
Nov 26, 2006 - 2:42:11 AM
, Reviewed by: Priya Saxena
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Ebadi outlined some steps for the rehabilitation of sex workers by teaching them alternative skills and opening of more vocational courses by the government.
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By RxPG News Service,
[RxPG] New Delhi, Nov 25 - Iran may be toying with the idea of acquiring a nuclear weapon, but Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi argues that the money needed for making an atom bomb can be used better for a more pressing need - ending prostitution and sexual trafficking of women.
'The cost of making an atom bomb should be set against the cost of rescuing and rehabilitating girls and women trapped in prostitution,' said Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner, the only Iranian to win the coveted honour, here Saturday.
'Governments complain about not having money or resources to end sexual trafficking of women. But that's only an excuse,' Ebadi told rights activists and journalists at the India International Centre here.
The 59-year-old lawyer and human rights activist - an icon for many in Iran - was invited to India by Apne Aap Women Worldwide, an NGO engaged in fighting sexual exploitation of women.
Ebadi also launched 'The Place Where I Live is Called a Red Light Area' - a book that chronicles the anguish and sadness of teenagers living in Kalighat and Sonagachi - the areas infamous for prostitution in Kolkata.
The book contains first person accounts of teenagers living in a place scorned by civilised society and evokes their raw feelings of rejection and daily humiliation through simple but haunting sketches.
'In your country, the military budget is more than the combined budget on health and education,' Ebadi said while pointing to the flourishing of prostitution in different parts of India despite a legal bar on it.
Iranian women were trafficked to different countries and some of them ended up in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Ebadi also said that despite being illegal in Iran, prostitution not only thrived but women were also trafficked into that country from Pakistan, Afghanistan and other Caucasian countries.
'The victory of feminist movements in every country will open the door for more democracy. A sacred battle is being fought in Iran for equal rights of men and women,' she added.
Ebadi outlined some steps for the rehabilitation of sex workers by teaching them alternative skills and opening of more vocational courses by the government.
'Violence against women knows no geographical boundaries, caste or class. Taking measures to stop violence against women is central to the 11th five year plan,' said Syeda Hameed, women rights activist and a member of the Planning Commission.
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