India: ''Dignified Women'' Campaign against Tobacco in Delhi

Source from:  OneWorld International  03/26/2013

The campaign was launched with an aim to spread awareness amongst the people regarding the ill effects of tobacco consumption.

Simran (17) and 80 other Shalinis (Dignified Women) initiated a campaign 'Say No to Tobacco' in the communities of Badarpur, in New Delhi.
 
With an aim to spread awareness amongst the people regarding the ill effects of tobacco consumption, these Shalinis of Substance marched across the narrow lanes of Badarpur to have a one on one conversation with the people of the community.
 
The campaigners got mixed responses while talking to the community. The people were not only aware of the side effects of chewing tobacco they also wanted the Government to take some action against it. "You should approach our Government and tell them to order the companies to stop the manufacturing of tobacco", said one woman.
 
The men, women and children, all showed keen interest to hear what our Shalinis had to say and participated equally to share their views and experiences with them.  Hema (19) shared her delight saying, "It is not really easy to overcome this habit but we already feel that we were able to make a difference, even though a small one, as the people listened to us attentively."
 
Dr Kiran Modi, Founder Trustee of an NGO, Udayan Care, said, "The Udayan Shalini Fellowships (USF) offers more than just monetary assistance. It also helps the girls to know about the prevalent problems in the society, and their role as a responsible citizen to make a difference." Enditem