Despite India seeing fast-paced development for decades since independence with the women striding ahead adorning top posts, the crime against women keeps continuing unabated. This sombre contrast between two realities in India has formed the theme of the two-day national seminar on the status of women after independence held at Chief Minister’s camp office in Dehradun on Wednesday.
While the chairperson of Gujarat State commission for women, Leela Ankoliya said that all the state women commissions should adopt the Gujarat model the chairperson of Odisha state commission for women Lopamudra Baxipatra contrasted the glittering picture of some accomplished women setting benchmark of individual excellence with the gloomy picture of women bearing the brunt of violence both in the families and outside. “We must go all out to stop violence on the women,” Baxipatra said.
Leela Ankoliya said that Nari Adalat comprising a counsellor has been formed at all the 260 blocks of Gujarat. The dist Nari Adalat has an advocate. A toll free number 181 has been launched and a rescue team comprising counsellor, cop and vehicle driver is kept ready round the clock in all the districts of the State. They swing into action once they receive complaints from the distressed women. She further said that most of the complaints relate to domestic violence which are sorted out through counselling and other methods. “Out of Rs eight crore being provided to the commission by the Gujarat government as annual budget, we give Rs 2.16 lakh to the State-based universities for conducting awareness campaign about women safety and women related laws and others,” Ankoliya added.
Orisha chairperson Baxipatra said that the women commission in her state is having legal cell, counselling cell, investigating cell and research cell for assisting the women after complaints are received. “After receiving the complaint, the man against whom the complaint is registered is summoned at the commission and he is informed of the women- related laws. We have observed that crimes happen as the perpetrators are unaware of such laws enacted to ensure security and give justice to the women. Besides, there is Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) at the government offices and those in the unorganised sectors while there is Local Complaint Committee at the local levels. These have been formed to redress the problems of the working women in the state. What is more, the commission conducts research on the status (medical, skill development training, food and others) of women languishing in jails, status of the tribal women and safety of the girl students at government- run hostels. We share the findings with the state government,” she said.
Ramindri Mandrawal, secretary of Uttarakhand state women commission, said that they are doing everything possible to empower the women of the State.
A host of chairpersons and members of state commissions for women are now participating in the seminar. Earlier, while addressing the gathering, Uttarakhand women and child welfare Min Rekha Arya said that the measures taken both by the Centre and the State are now empowering the women of the state. “The Narendra Modi Govt has a fair representation of women who are all accomplished, running the respective ministries with exemplary efficiency. Though we must follow their leads we must not desist from doing ground level works to uplift and empower the women who need our help,” she said.