GUWAHATI: Social activist Birubala Rabha was awarded the Women’s World Summit Foundation (WWSF) prize for women’s creativity in rural life for the year 2018 on Saturday, October 27.
Birubala Rabha, known for her relentless battle against the evil practice of witch-hunting, has received numerous awards for her fight. The 69 year old has saved innumerous women from becoming victims of witch-hunting.
Xavier’s Foundation in association with Gauhati University handed over a certificate to Rabha at a ceremony held at the Phanidhar Dutta Seminar Hall. Rabha also received a cash prize of $1,000. The award has been instituted by WWSF-Women’s World Summit Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland.
Speaking on the occasion Rabha said, “It is a very prestigious moment for me to receive this prize given by a UN organisation in recognition of my decades-long crusade against witch-hunting and superstition, which I have fought even at the cost of my life to save many people. It is indeed very sad that in this age of technological advancement, social evils like witch-hunting still exist in the country, especially in remote areas.”
“The main reasons for branding women as witches are lack of education and quality health services. Education is the best tool to fight against this social menace,” she said, appealing to the people of Assam not to go to quacks or deodhanis as they are not doctors.
