India Elections: Thousands of women rally to demand change

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02:08

Indians will go to the polls next week for a general election. Before that, thousands of women have marched across the country, saying they are looking to claim their constitutional rights as citizens. Women from 20 states said they were rejecting the current environment of hate and violence in the country. Our correspondent Ravinder Bawa spoke to some of them.

It's a march by women in Delhi to sensitize voters across India to use their vote wisely. About 40 women's rights activists and civil society groups organised this event simultaneously in about 135 places.

RAVINDER BAWA NEW DELHI "As the temperature's rising, so is the political fever. Hundreds of women have come with a hope that the noise they make here in Delhi to save the constitution will resound across the country."

SHABNAM HASHMI SOCIAL ACTIVIST "In the last five years the women have suffered the most, all the democratic structures have been totally demolished. They have not delivered on anything whether it is economic agender or any agender."

In this election, about 15 million are first-time voters and many of these came out in big numbers to show their solidarity.

These women say that democracy is at stake and women's vote can make a difference.