The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Discussions, rallies mark Women's Day

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Friday, Mar 09, 2007
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Discussions, rallies mark Women's Day

Staff Reporter

FOR A CAUSE: A rally organised by the Department of Social Welfare in connection with International Women's Day on Thursday. — Photo: S. Gopakumar

Thiruvananthapuram: Workshops, discussions and rallies marked the celebration of International Women's Day here on Thursday.

Most discussions were centred on the newly enacted Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, a law which aims at the welfare and protection of women.

Inaugurating the celebrations organised by the State Women's Commission and the State Women's Development Corporation, Minister for Health and Social Welfare P.K. Sreemathy said the Government would set up special courts to handle cases dealing with women's issues, including harassment and violence.

Kerala was much ahead of other States in the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act. Permanent posts of protection officers would be created soon, she said.

The Government was also trying to appoint service providers (voluntary organisations) at the block-level for the implementation, she said.

The State machinery for implementing laws relating to the welfare and protection of women would be strengthened. The existing laws for women such as the Dowry Prohibition Act and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prevention of Misuse) Act had not been very useful on the practical front so far and more needed to be done for its effective implementation, Ms. Sreemathy said.

Legal aid

Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson of the Women's Commission D. Sreedevi said the panel would soon launch free legal aid and counselling centres. The commission would take a stern view of the increasing incidence of indecent representation of women in advertisement billboards and posters in the city.

The Corporation and the local bodies should deny permission for putting up pictures which portrayed women in a vulgar or indecent manner, she said.

Ms. Sreedevi said the cases dealing with domestic violence should be handed over to the district judge as first class magistrate courts were overburdened, leading to a delay in redressing of complaints.

The Social Welfare Department also organised Women's Day celebrations, which again focussed on the domestic violence Act. Representatives of women's organisations took out a rally to the Gandhi Park grounds.

A fortnight-long programme to mark Women's Day organised by the Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF) Station at Pallippuram, concluded on Thursday.

Mallika Sukumaran, actor, was the chief guest on the occasion.

The welfare programmes planned for women at the CRPF Station for the next year by the CRPF Wives' Welfare Association was unveiled at the function.

The All-India Mahila Samskarika Sanghadana (women's cultural orgnaisation) observed Women's Day as a protest day in front of the Secretariat, raising slogans against the State Government's liquor policy, price rise and the agreement reached with the Asian Development Bank.

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