KOCHI: We all know the judgment by the Kerala High Court banning smoking in public places. However, not everyone is aware that it was a bitter travel experience faced by a woman professor who paved the way for the ban. Prof Monamma Kokkad, who lives in Vyttila, has begun another crusade, this time it is against the atrocities women face in society. The 70-year-old social worker recently launched her latest project 'Never Me'.
"It is always better to prevent something than go in search for the cure. The same applies when it comes to the harassment women face in society," said the retired English professor. "I used to take classes for school and college students on how girls can protect themselves from harassment," she said. This is how the idea of 'Never Me' popped up.
According to Monamma, most harassments go unreported due to the lack of awareness. "If women are given proper education and awareness about the dangers that lurk in every other corner, it will help them avoid such sticky situations," she said. "The campaign primarily focuses on schools and the target group includes girls between the age of eight and 10," she said.
According to her, 'Never Me' needs to gain as much mileage as #MeToo movement. "If #MeToo was about unveiling the culprits in public, Never Me is about helping young girls and women avoid such situations," she said. According to her, no women in the world wishes to be a part of #MeToo movement.
"Through the Never Me campaign, we hope to make women confident about themselves so that they can say without missing a beat that 'I will never be a victim, I am my own protector, I will keep myself'," she said.
The campaign, which is expected to begin from June, will be extended to colleges after the initial launch. "We are planning to introduce this programme through schools with the help of female teachers and trained professionals who are collectively named 'Never Me Army'.
The same will be merged into the school curriculum with the consent and support of school authorities," said Monamma. (With inputs from Rajat Sebastian, Sonal Chacko and Haritha Harshan)