Let women rule for 2.5 years: Tamil Nadu Deputy CM Panneerselvam

Violence and crime against women will come down if there is a provision that mandates men and women to govern the country for two-and-a-half years each, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam said on Thursday.

Speaking at a seminar on elimination of violence against women, organised by the Department of Planning and Development, Mr. Panneerselvam said, “Why shouldn’t men and women rule the country for two-and-a-half years each? If such an opportunity is granted through the Constitution, there will be equality in society, and violence against women will come down.”

He said in such a scenario, there would be a big change in society. He said he would discuss with the Chief Minister the issues raised during the seminar, including providing training to those in the judiciary and the police, to help women get access to justice.

He said violence against women in a civilised society is a violation of human rights and there is a need to take steps to remove the sufferings of women and children who have been affected by violence.

“There is a need for us to increase punishment and bring in change in societal mentality on issues such as violence against women. There is a need to increase awareness among officials on these issues,” he said.