Tamil Nadu

“Community role vital to protect women’s rights”

THENI: Women alone should fight for their rights. Involvement of community is essential to protect rights of women and prevent atrocities against them, according to U. Vasuki, general secretary, All India Democratic Women’s Association.

Presiding over a seminar on Women’s rights is human rights organised by Theni District Women’s Movement here on Wednesday, she said that fighting for women’s rights has become a continuous process. After several years of struggle, women had pressed the government to promulgate a law that banned foeticide and infanticide. Now, we have been fighting for effective implementation of the law.

Still, husbands of several panchayat presidents have been running the civic bodies. Women were not allowed to perform their duties. The situation was still worse if they were Dalits. Their farm owners conducted Panchayat council meeting in some places, she said. “Officials should not support such activities.”

Women should pay attention to political, social and economic activities through out the world as its adverse impact would certainly affect them, she added.

In her special address, Development Action Consortium project director V.R. Vanaja stressed the need to register names of all pregnant women with village health nurse for meticulous monitoring in order to prevent foeticide or infanticide. The Collector should issue suitable instructions to the Health Department in this connection. Similarly, all efforts must be made to maintain records in all private and government scan centres. Post-mortem should be made compulsory after death of every girl child to check infanticide.

Effective awareness campaigns on Domestic Violence Act was also necessary at villages. A service centre in this connection should be established in Theni.

Earlier, hundreds of women took part in an awareness rally that started from Theni central bus stand and reached farmers’ market in the town.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu