Rita Banerji, a freelance writer and photographer based in Calcutta, India, initiated the 50 MILLION MISSING campaign in December 2006. Rita’s campaign, which currently has 1,426 members, is on the website Flickr, offering members the opportunity to submit their photographs of women to be used as part of the campaign. There is also an ongoing discussion to further inform and educate others to the genocide of our sisters in India. Please visit and support her initiative in your support of the daughters of India.
From the website:
This is a Campaign to increase International awareness about the 50 million women that are currently missing from India’s population.
Due to a traditional preference for sons, daughters are regularly dispensed with through selective abortions and the practice of infanticide. It is also estimated that between 7,000-10,000 women are annually murdered by their in-laws and husbands, after being subject to extended physical and mental torture.
This is India’s silent genocide, and it is time for it to STOP.
This website was initially started with idea that each of the 50 million missing women be represented by a photograph of Indian women or girls engaged in various activities of life. However, since this is an awareness campaign, we encourage anyone who visits this site and supports our cause to please join as member, even if you submit no photos. Each membership strengthens our cause.
We of course welcome your comments and question in the discussion section.
Rita has been working closely with Roopa, a young woman who is a victim of dowry abuse. Her husband, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law forced acid down Roopa’s throat and then left her for dead. Roopa managed to get help however, and is surviving to tell her story today. You can read about it here:
ROOPA’S STORY (The voice of one dowry victim)
Rita’s tireless campaign to raise awareness on the genocide of Indian women is exemplary. I look forward to meeting and working with her when I visit India in 2008.
