Srinagar: Chairperson of Kashmir Women’s Collective (KWC) Mantasha Binti Rashid on Friday claimed that the group has not been disbanded and they will continue to fight for the rights of women.
On Thursday, one of the KWC trustees had told The Kashmir Monitor that four out of five trustees had resigned from the group.
“Our resignation legally implies that the group ceases to exist. The structure is still in place, however. We had agreed on the terms that whoever wants to restructure it can go ahead but not with the same name. Also, it should not appear as if it’s a continuation of the same organization. But that has been violated,” the trustee said, wishing anonymity.
The immediate trigger was a recent collage of Kashmiri women influencers posted on the KWC Facebook page seeking online votes to choose the best achievers. It evoked a sharp reaction with some influencers objecting to using their name and pictures by the KWC.
Speaking to The Kashmir Monitor, Mantasha Binti Rashid said the organization was formed in 2016 and registered as a trust in 2017.
“The objective was to give legal psycho-social support to women and those who suffered domestic violence. We wanted to sensitize people on gender issues and create a larger awareness of women’s rights,” she said.
She pointed out that two of the trustees resigned in March and April due to some disagreements within the organization.
“We replaced both of them with the existing non-trustee members. The organization is still the same. Also, restructuring is not possible without new members. When people leave, they have to be replaced so that organization continues to work,” she said.
Currently, the organization is working with four active members and 16 associated members.
“We are planning to register as a society and have submitted the documents. I want to emphasize the fact that KWC is a self-funded voluntary network in women, and all of us are professionals, who contribute from their salary towards the functioning of this organization,” she said.