BENGALURU: Veteran artiste Rameshwari Verma on Wednesday said that crimes against women and children can no longer be treated as isolated incidents, but reflect a deep-rooted cultural and systemic failure.
She was inaugurating a state-level convention organised by the All India Mahila Sanskritik Sanghatan (AIMSS) here as part of its statewide campaign against rising violence targeting women and children.
The convention aimed to confront increasing violence and mobilise public conscience for sustained action. Women, students, workers and activists from across Karnataka participated in the gathering.
Warning that crimes against women are not only increasing but becoming “more grotesque, perverse and ghastly”, Verma criticised portrayals of women as villains or objects in television serials and films, saying such representations normalise violence.
“Media can build a person and media can kill a person,” she said, stressing that respect, not merely protection, must form the foundation of society’s approach towards women. K Uma, state secretary of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist), recalled several cases that once shook the nation’s conscience but failed to deliver justice.
Speakers repeatedly flagged the role of media and digital platforms in shaping attitudes towards women, expressing concern over the unchecked spread of obscene and exploitative content in advertising, cinema and online spaces.
The convention also highlighted continuing threats of human trafficking, forced labour and sexual exploitation, stressing that protection must go beyond laws to meaningful enforcement and cultural change. The session was presided over by AIMSS State President MN Manjula, with State Secretary S Shobha and others in attendance.