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Umh!, Whats this? |
Gender Justice / January 2001
<<< Go
to index page
Women can
complain directly to UN now
Twenty years after the UN convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women came into
force, women can for the first time complain directly to the UN about discrimination,
sexual exploitation or other violations of the 1981 treaty. Last year,
the UN Commission on the Status of Women initiated an optional protocol
to the treaty that would make it possible for women to complain about rights
violations directly to the UN, individually or collectively. A UN spokesman
announced on December 22 that the protocol comes into force from that day
as 13 countries (against the 10 minimum required) have already ratified
it. They are Austria, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy,
Mali, Namibia, New Zealand, Senegal, Slovakia and Thailand. Besides, 62
other countries have signed the protocol.
Women’s
bill blocked, new quota mooted
Despite the fact that the Congress,
the BJP and the Left supported the passage of the four–year-old Women’s
Representation Bill, which proposed reservation of 33 per cent of the Lok
Sabha and Assembly seats for women, the bill could not be taken up for
discussion and voting in the winter session of the Lok Sabha. The consensus
emerging now is that amending electoral laws making it mandatory on all
parties to provide a fixed percentage of tickets to women was the only
way to ensure greater representation to women in the political process.
The aggressive opponents of the proposed bill, such as the Samajwadi Party,
RJD, BSP, JD(U) and Samata Party have all said they will support reservation
through the proposed changes in electoral laws. However, there remains
the disagreement on the percentage of tickets to be given to women. While
the opponents of the Bill until now are talking about 10 per cent, Union
home minister, LK Advani, has said that the pro–reservation parties may
have to scale down the figure from 33 to 25 per cent in the interests of
a consensus.
UP most
unsafe state for women
BJP–ruled Uttar Pradesh has the
dubious distinction of recording the highest number of dowry deaths in
the country. One out of every fourth case of custodial rape is also reported
from UP. The state has reported 15 per cent more incidents of abductions
compared to the rest of the country; the maximum number of rape victims
in the 10–16 age group are also from UP. Recent trends also suggest that
incidents of marital discord and dowry harassment are greater in urban
centres from the more prosperous western UP region. Interestingly, while
these statistics — based on data furnished by the national crime records
bureau — of growing crimes against women in UP were being discussed at
a seminar on ‘Violence against women and children and the role of police’
in Lucknow, the state’s minister for women’s welfare, Prabha Devi, seemed
less concerned about women victims than in–laws being ‘falsely implicated’
in dowry related complaints. “Women are becoming increasingly intolerant
which is leading to a rise in the number of suicide deaths. Not all suicide
deaths are dowry related and it is only in 10 per cent cases that dowry
is the cause of death”, she said, to the dismay of women activists and
even police officers present.
Year of
Women’s Empowerment
With the Vajpayee–led government
having decided to observe year 2001 as Women’s Empowerment Year, it looks
likely that the cold–storaged Women’s Empowerment Policy which was drafted
in 1996 might at last get a boost. The special features of the policy that
seeks to empower women socially and economically aims to address issues
related to health, education, domestic violence and employment.
Meanwhile, the National Commission
for Women, as part of its action plan for the New Year, has decided to
focus on checking violence against women within the family, the workplace
and society at large. The NCW has appealed to all sections of society to
extend their support in this campaign. “No law or a single organisation
can by itself save society from this scourge,” said the NCW’s appeal.
Sati bid
foiled in UP
Timely action by the police prevented
a widow from committing sati in Kidhauli village in Banda district on December
26. The widow, Radha Bai was arrested and sent to jail. The police became
suspicious of Radha Bai’s intent when they saw her accompanying the husband’s
body to the cremation ground in bridal dress. Radha Bai told media persons
that Sati Maiyya (Goddess Sati) had come to her in her dreams and ordered
her to commit sati. According to official statistics available with the
national crime records bureau, five cases were registered under prevention
of sati act in 1999 and none in 1998. |