Karnataka - Bidar

`Act on domestic violence will help many women'

Staff Correspondent

Janawadi Mahila Sanghatane is holding awareness rallies for its silver jubilee

Bidar: The Janawadi Mahila Sanghatane (JMS) is organising a series of awareness rallies as part of its silver jubilee celebrations. The first rally was inaugurated in Basavakalyan on Tuesday.

JMS central committee secretary Kiran Moghe said the passing of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act was the result of a long agitation by women's organisations. She said this Act would provide legal remedy to thousands of women.

She said the Government had agreed to enrol a minimum of 30 per cent women as labourers under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

Female infant mortality

She expressed concern over the increasing female infant mortality rate in the country. Even in prosperous States such as Punjab and Haryana, there was an alarming decrease in the number of women, she said.

She said women's organisations would urge all political parties to support the women's reservation bill in the winter session of Parliament. She said the JMS had nearly 90 lakh members in the country.

"We are aiming at increasing the membership to one crore this year," she said.

JMS member Shamim Suraiah clarified that the organisation was pro- women and not anti-men. "We are here to fight for the self-respect of women," she said.

Hulsoor Math seer Shivananda Swamiji and JMS state president K. Neela were among those present.

Earlier, JMS activists took out a procession. They also staged street plays and sang songs on the condition of women in society.

Kala Tanda members staged plays on issues such as dowry menace and female infanticide. The rally will pass through Bidar, Gulbarga and Raichur.

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