TRINIDAD/TOBAGO, January 1, 2012 (guardian.com.tt): UN Women in the Caribbean recently funded a three-phase program aimed at promoting the role of faith-based organisations in “increasing awareness to change attitudes and influence behavior among people from all walks of life, as essential to preventing and ending violence against women.” The collaboration established a partnership between UN Women and the Hindu Women’s Organisation of T&T. One of the outcomes was the publication of a booklet entitled Hinduism–An Overview & Rejecting Violence Against Women. Pundit Bramdeo Maharaj, a former president of the Inter-Religious Organisation, presented the Hindu overview, and Brenda Gopeesingh presented the position of the Hindu Women’s Organisation in addressing violence within the Hindu community.
The booklet was launched at the newly refurbished Divali Nagar Auditorium during the “16 Days of Activism” which represented the period between November 25 and December 10–the days which the UN has reserved to vigorously address the Elimination of Violence Against Women since 2008. The audience included members of the Maha Sabha, Swaha, Saathi, the Raj Yoga Centre, the Satya Sai Organisation the Rape Crisis Centre, the Institute of Gender Studies, CAFRA and the Network of NGOs.