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NCIC Issue 3 March 2013 Friday 8th March 2013 commemorates the United NaƟon's Trinidad and Tobago. celebraƟon of InternaƟonal Women’s Day (IWD). The Ɵme for standing up and gaining control of such societal This is a Ɵme where we reflect on the progress made in re- ills has long gone. The Ɵme for respecƟng women as leaders, specƟng our women, to call for policy changes where neces- mothers and professionals is long-overdue. sary and to celebrate acts of courage and determinaƟon by The NaƟonal Council of Indian Culture stands side-by-side ordinary women who have played extraordinary roles in the with those willing to strive for the acƟve awareness and work history of their countries and communiƟes. toward the eradicaƟon of violence against our women in TriniOn November 23rd 2012, Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers- dad and Tobago. Ceasar addressed a media launch in commemoraƟon of the InternaƟonal Day for the EliminaƟon of Violence against Women, revealing astounding staƟsƟcal data which included “As we commemorate InternaƟonal Women’s Day, we must some 12,041 new reported cases of domesƟc violence that look back on a year of shocking crimes of violence against have been determined for the 2010/2011 law term. women and girls and ask ourselves how to usher in a beƩer Violence against women manifests itself in more ways than future. one - be it emoƟonally, psychologically or physically. In Ɵmes One young woman was gang-raped to death. Another comwhen global communiƟes are seeing advances in the fields of miƩed suicide out of a sense of shame that should have medicine, technology and economic progression, we sƟll fall aƩached to the perpetrators. Young teens were shot at close vicƟm to societal ills such as violence against our women, tyrange for daring to seek an educaƟon. ing us down from social and ethical progression. These atrociƟes, which rightly spar