Social groups hail Rane’s resolve to end widow discrimination

Panaji: Various social groups in Goa, who have been working at the village level to end widow discrimination customs, under the banner of WE (Why Exclude), have hailed the Goa women and child development minister Vishwajit Rane’s announcement that Goa will introduce a law to prevent such practices.
“It is pertinent to note that Rane has not only said that the law against widow discrimination will be framed, but has also given a timeline of four to five months for this task. He has assured the house that the law will be formulated in consultation with the leader of opposition, other MLAs, team of legal experts and other stakeholders and tabled in the monsoon session of the state assembly. We wholeheartedly welcome this decision and look forward to a streamlined process aimed at achieving this objective,” WE said, in a statement on Saturday.
Leader of opposition Yuri Alemao had put forth a private member’s resolution at the recent assembly session on the issue. Rane later asked Alemao to withdraw the resolution, assuring on the floor of the House that the government will bring a comprehensive law to prevent any kind of widow discrimination in Goa.
“Various MLAs spoke in the House and highlighted the plight of widowed women in Goa. We are thankful to each one of them for understanding the seriousness of the issue,” WE said.
The house also lauded the 14 panchayats across Goa for proactively passing resolutions to stop discriminatory widowhood practices in their areas.
“WE greatly values this grassroot level support and also seek it for effective implementation of the law, once it is made, from all the panchayats and municipalities across Goa towards this noble cause,” WE said.