Tamil Nadu   

Standing up for women's rights

"It is mandatory to constitute a complaint committee in organisations where women work. But this is rarely followed"

Nirmala Venkatesh — Photo: M. Vedhan

When Nirmala Venkatesh was member of the Karnataka Legislative Council, she faced pressure from a group to give up a social cause. Unfazed, she said, "Look, I can be a goonda too." This fighting spirit is helping the former legislator, now a member of the National Women's Commission, to uphold the cause of the disadvantaged. She talks to Kannal Achuthan on her work at the grass-roots level.

Ms. Venkatesh's schedule is often hectic. She travels across India to conduct enquiries about the harassment of women. Women must stand up for their rights when they see injustice, she says.

Ms. Venkatesh was in the city on Saturday to enquire into the complaints of abuse on conservancy workers. "They are poorly paid, abused using foul language, and even sexually harassed," she said.

The Women's Commission member intends to pay a visit to Chennai every month to enquire into cases. "As per the guidelines of the Supreme Court, in the Vishakha case of Rajasthan, it is mandatory to constitute a complaint committee in all government, non-government and private sector organisations where women work. But, this is rarely followed," Ms. Venkatesh points out.

While the downtrodden are the most vulnerable, even empowered women face torture at the hands of men, she says. To give teeth to the battle crimes against women, the Commission has submitted bills for compulsory registration of marriage and against sexual harassment at the workplace. It will convene a meeting in all cities on the safety of women working in late shifts in the BPO industry.

"We are also working with the Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry to frame rules for NRI marriages. In Punjab alone, we have official reports of 15,000 cases of NRI marriage problems," she said. Often, women go abroad and find that the husband already has a wife there. To bring down the number of such cases, the passport of the accused may have to be cancelled, she says.

Drafting bills is important, but Ms. Venkatesh also believes in taking action. She pays full attention to every complaint that she hears. Her commitment stems from her experiences as a single parent raising two daughters, as she lost her husband in an accident when she was 28. She tells her daughters, who are away at college, to be strong individuals. "Sometimes, it is they who give me confidence," she smiles.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

"I always want to be a producer's hero"
In search of new ground to promote Indian history
Standing up for women's rights
In search of new ground
Out on a hunt
Alert cop nabs trickster at Secretariat complex
"Miss Take" drugs seized
E-waste is a major emerging challenge, says Raja
Spurt in heart ailments cause for concern, says President
Briefly

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu