Date:03/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/03/stories/2007110360651200.htm

Tamil Nadu

President moots new social reform movement for gender equality

Special Correspondent

It is essential to change society’s attitude towards women

— Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

HONOUR: Governor Surjit Singh Barnala (left) presenting the Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) to President Pratibha Patil at the 17th convocation of Mother Teresa Women’s University in Chennai on Friday. Minister for Higher Education K. Ponmudy and Minister for Social Welfare Poongodhai Aladi Aruna are in the picture.

CHENNAI: President Pratibha Patil on Friday called for a new social reform movement for gender equality and empowerment of women that would change society’s attitude towards women.

Legislative and administrative initiatives to empower women were necessary and important, but this must be complemented by a fundamental change in mindsets, she stressed.

The Government had put in place legislation to protect women from domestic violence and sexual harassment at the workplace and to give Hindu women inheritance rights. In 1992, a major initiative was taken to reserve one third of seats for women in local and urban bodies. However, gender discrimination in the form of female foeticide, inadequate opportunities at work and education for women continued to exist in the country. Therefore, it was essential to change the society’s attitude towards women, she said.

Stating that grassroots women’s movements could be the most vocal champions of women’s empowerment, Ms. Patil suggested that they should be made partners in programmes for women’s uplift. Women self-help groups have made a significant impact on the economic empowerment of rural women, she told the 17th convocation of the Mother Teresa Women’s University.

The President also outlined a path to be followed to facilitate empowerment of women.

The first step, according to her, was to provide education for women. It was important to increase the enrolment of girls at schools and vastly improve female literacy. Women who wished to pursue higher studies should be supported through scholarships and with easy bank loans. Entrepreneurship must be promoted as a career option for women and should be supplemented with loans and specialised training programmes, including vocational training centres for women in every State.

It was equally important for women to be motivated to literally fight discrimination. Ms. Patil said self-defence skills such as judo and karate should be imparted to girl students from a very early age so as to make them physically strong and to build their confidence.

Earlier, she was awarded the Degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) Honoris Causa by the Governor and Chancellor of the University, Surjit Singh Barnala. Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy welcomed the President and lauded her achievement on becoming the country’s first-ever woman President.