--‘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.
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