The Hindu : `Claims on empowerment of women hollow'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 19, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

`Claims on empowerment of women hollow'

By Our Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR, JAN. 18. Speakers at a meeting on "Problems of women self help groups and their role in development of rural poor'' held here today by the Andhra Pradesh Mahila Samakhya observed that the claims of the State Government on the empowerment of women were misleading.

The Government assurances to the women Self Help Groups were also hollow, they said.

The State general secretary of APMS, Premapavani, the district president, Shakuntala, the district secretary, D. Ameena, the Mandal Parishad president of Kundurpi, P. Girija, the district secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), G. Obulakonda Reddy, the district secretary of the Communist Party of India, M.V. Ramana, the State secretariat member of the CPI, K. Ramakrishna, the president of District Congress Committee, A. Venkatarami Reddy, and others spoke at the meeting.

The revolving fund was being given to very few groups and the bankers were creating problems for the groups even in opening the savings account, they alleged.

There was no marketing facility to the products of women SHGs. They suggested the State Government to buy the products like phenol and washing powder from the women SHGs to help them sustain themselves.

The mid-day meal scheme is being executed mostly by the women SHGs but the Government had been harassing the groups by not clearing the bills in time.

Stating that economic and social development of women would help development of the country, they said the State Government had been neglecting the women SHGs for long.

They ridiculed the Government plans to give cell phones to SHGs and said they required marketing facility instead.

If one goes by Government statistics, which claim that there are 4.73 lakhs women SHGs in the State with about 65 lakh members, it would give an impression that women in the State are self-reliant.

However, the stark reality is that they are still being subjected to atrocities and malnutrition. Illiteracy and poverty are still very high among women, the speakers explained.

They further stated that women would teach a lesson to the Government in the coming elections.

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Andhra Pradesh