Women’s issues to be raised in Foswac meet

CHANDIGARH: Members of the Federation of Sector Welfare Association of Chandigarh (Foswac), will discuss the issue of women’s safety and their representation in core committees of the association in the next general house meeting. Women have been raising these issues for the past one year.
Recently, women members resolved that they would not let the general house meeting proceed smoothly if their issues were not taken up. In June this year, a unanimous decision was taken to give representation to women in various sub-committees of the association. But no action has been taken in this direction.

In the month of June, Foswac president Baljinder Singh Bittu assured women representatives that he would hold special meetings to arrive at a final decision but till date no meeting was conducted on this issue. Association secretary R S Gill said women members should come up with a proposal on how they wish to contribute to Foswac.

Women are part of 74 resident welfare associations which are part of Foswac. Still, they do not have much representation. In June 1988, Chandigarh resident Dr Satnam Singh constituted the association to form a pressure group of residents as authorities were not acting on issues raised by them. A total of 12 resident welfare associations joined hands for the purpose. At present, Baljinder Singh Bittu is Foswac chairman. However, no woman has ever made it to the core committee.

In 2015, Parkash Dhillon, vice-president of the Sector 21 RWA, said she questioned why she was not allowed to hold any post in the core committee of Foswac. But despite repeated requisitions, the association has done nothing, she said.

Sources said there are two proposals for women’s representation in Foswac on which core committee was working on. Association members are considering letting women handle posts of secretary, hospitality, secretary, public relations and secretary, social and culture events.

A group of women will be constituted to handle these charges. At present, Foswac does not have a cell to manage social and culture affairs, which will be handled by women representatives.

Another proposal is that any Foswac core committee delegation that meets officials to raise public issues should have two or three women representatives. As of now, there is no representative of the women’s cell in such meetings.