People's Democracy

         Bill On Domestic Violence Prevention Soon

Arjun Singh Assures AIDWA

THE union human resources development minister, Arjun Singh, assured a delegation of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) and women MPs who met him on July 13, 2004 that the legislation against domestic violence will be placed before Parliament in the current session itself. The delegation apprised him of the changes that had been recommended by women’s organisations in the original bill moved by the NDA government. The delegation welcomed the minister’s assurance that he would include the recommendations in the bill.

Several other issues were also raised with the minister such as the need to expand the detoxification of textbooks agenda by adding the gender dimension since many of the textbooks reflected a deep bias against girls and women. On this also the minister gave an assurance that in the forthcoming exercise, gender approach in textbooks would also be examined. Further the delegation pointed out the negative role of certain members of the UGC in trying to sabotage the functioning of women’s studies centres in the various universities by changing the agenda.

The delegation expressed its disappointment with the budgetary allocations to women and child development programme which are even less than last year. This was in the context of the demand for expansion of ICDS projects and day care centres for children of working women. It also asked the minister to pay special attention to the educational facilities for Muslim women within the agenda of minority educational facility expansion.

The delegation included all the women MPs of the Left parties – among whom included Sarala Maheshwari, Chandrakala Pande, Sathi Devi and Jyotirmoy Sikdar – and AIDWA office bearers Brinda Karat, Kalindi Deshpande, Kirti Singh, Ashalata, Indu Agnihotri.