The Hindu : National : Meira Kumar lauds women's struggle against gender discrimination

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National

Meira Kumar lauds women's struggle against gender discrimination

Special Correspondent

Showcases role of women in nation building in India

Meira Kumar

NEW DELHI: The role of women in nation building in India was showcased by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar in her address to a conference of women speakers in Berne on Saturday when the Sixth Annual meeting of women speakers and chairs of legislatures concluded its two-day deliberations.

From the time of independence the belief of our Constitution makers was that democracy and development could never be equitable if women were to be excluded from policy making and its implementation, she said. A copy of her speech was released here by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

She said India's Parliament enacted many legislation, addressing issues of trafficking of women, killing of unborn girls through foeticide, commercial exploitation of sex and domestic violence.

She welcomed the new phenomenon of women themselves becoming agents of change and struggling against gender discrimination. The collective strength of women together with State intervention could make a big difference in achieving gender parity, she said.

Ms. Kumar pointed out India was one of first countries to have a woman Prime Minister. India now had a woman President; a year ago she herself was elected Speaker; the ruling coalition chairperson was a woman as was Leader of the Opposition.

She referred to the passing of the Women's Reservation Bill by the Rajya Sabha, while mentioning the 33 per cent reservation for women in all local bodies. More than a million elected representatives in these bodies were women.

However, she recognised even today there was a glass ceiling for women in most professions, and gender disparities and discrimination were facts that could not be denied. Domestic violence was a major problem, she said.

It was a manifestation of gender disparity with those charged to protect women turning violently against them.

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