Video Producer/Editor: Shohini Bose
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Saturday, 11 March said she was sexually assaulted by her father when she was a child. She was speaking to reporters after the DCW International Women's Day Awards ceremony in Delhi.
“I was sexually abused by my father when I was a child. He used to beat me up; I used to hide under the bed. As a child, I used to plan how I would teach a lesson to such men who abuse women and children, and how I can help women get what they deserve,” she said.
While addressing the award ceremony, Maliwal narrated her life’s ordeal and how she battled sexual harassment and domestic violence at the hands of her father in her childhood and fought it.
"I still remember. When he (Maliwal’s father) used to come to beat me, he used to grab me by my hair and hit my head against the the wall, leading to severe injuries and bleeding. There was a lot of pain,” the DCW chief said.
Narrating her own lived experience, Maliwal said that only when a person “suffers oppression, is when they can understand the pain of others.”
“Only then the person gets the courage to shake the whole system. Perhaps the same happened with me and our all the awardees may have the same story," she added.
Women officers from the Armed forces, sports, social institutions, and common citizens were honored for their work at the awards ceremony.
Among the prominent faces who won the awards were Indian Tennis star Sania Mirza, Indian U-19 cricketer Sonia Mendiyaand and International Hockey player Mumtaz Khan. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also honored the families of martyr Nishant Malik and Rifleman Manoj Bhati who lost their life in the line of duty fighting terrorist.
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