‘Discrimination against women increasing in State’

--‘Govt responsible for discrimination’

BHUBANESWAR: “Discrimination and violence against women is increasing in the State,” said the participants during a two-day eastern region consultation on Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) towards preparation of 4th and 5th periodic NGO alternate report organised by the National Alliance of Women Odisha (NAWO) here on Monday.

Participating in the consultation programme, Sansristi director and activist Prof Asha Hans said the State has the record of one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in India and female literacy also not in quite good shape as the dropout rate of girls shows a gloomy picture of their condition. During last couple of months, violence against women has been increased in an alarming rate in the State, she added.

Hans said displacement, trafficking, migration and dowry death case is very high in the State as 3,110 dowry related cases were registered in 2011. She expressed grave concern over declining of child sex ratio from 953 girls per 1,000 boys in 2001 to 934 girls per 1,000 boys in 2011. They are not even safe in their homes as 42 per cent women experience domestic violence, she added.

Gracing the occasion, National Alliance of Women national president Dr Ruth Manorama said the Government of India is responsible for the discrimination against women as it is the Member State of United Nations Organisation and accepted the CEDAW convention adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly which sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. Countries that have ratified or acceded to the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice, that’s why the Indian Government should protect the rights of women, she added.

She advocated that economic, political, social and cultural equality should be given to the women living in the country. If the recommendation of CEDAW convention is not properly implemented, it would be a paper tiger nothing else, she added.

Social activist Dr Suman Lal from Bihar said about violence and discrimination against women in her State. She said about the corruption in the field of health insurance sum after having uterus operation. How doctors and insurance agents are luring and morally forcing the illiterate rural women folk for uterus operation by which they would get commission from Rs 35,000 insurance money. She also told about the attitude of the Government towards women while implementing any programme.

Among others, NAWO executive member Pramila Swain, Lalita Missal, women activists from Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh and members of different NGOs were present in the consultation programme. The programme would continue on Tuesday also.