THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a novel move, women across the state capital will hit the streets on the midnight of August 14 with a declaration of freedom.
The Department of Women and Child Development is preparing to organise “Freedom at Midnight, Celebrate Her” as part of the country’s 80th Independence Day celebrations.
The programme aims to transform a major public street into a women-only pedestrian zone, where women can walk, perform, play, shop, eat and celebrate freely in a safe and vehicle-free environment.
The event is scheduled from 10 pm to 1 am. “For three hours, the selected stretch of road will remain closed to vehicular traffic and will be accessible only to women.
The event will feature street games, cycling, cultural performances, open-mic sessions, storytelling, music, dance, food stalls and a night market showcasing products from women entrepreneurs and self-help groups.
Students, professionals, homemakers, senior citizens and artists are invited to participate. Registration is also open for volunteers, performers, women entrepreneurs interested in setting up stalls, and organisations wishing to partner with the initiative,” the women and child development department said in a statement on Monday.
Women will exclusively handle security, crowd management, first aid, volunteering and event coordination.
“Freedom at Midnight is more than an event. It is an invitation for women to reclaim public spaces with confidence, joy and dignity. By opening a street exclusively for women at midnight, we hope to demonstrate what an inclusive and fearless public space can look like,” the statement said.
