People's Democracy

A mass convention of working women was held on November 17,2004 at the Ram Lila Maidan, Delhi, in which over 2,000 women from 17 states participated. Among the participants were women from both the organised and unorganised sectors, including the financial sector, teachers, nurses, office employees, anganwadi workers and helpers, workers from beedi, handloom, construction, plantations, domestic workers, home based workers etc.

The president of the CITU, Dr M K Pandhe, inaugurated the convention.

A resolution, placed by K Hemalata, secretary CITU, pointed out the discrimination against working women which continues to prevail despite the proclamation of equality of all citizens enshrined in our Constitution. It called on the UPA government at the centre to take immediate measures to remove all types of discrimination against working women and ensure a decent working environment for them. The resolution was adopted unanimously by the convention, after many women from different states spoke on it, relating vividly their experiences and problems at work.

Chittabrata Majumdar, general secretary CITU and member, Rajya Sabha, greeted the convention. W R Varadarajan, secretary, CITU, delivered the concluding speech. The convention ended with the performance of a play "Who Bol Uthi" by the Jana Natya Manch, and was followed by a March to Parliament, with the thousands of women carrying placards and raising slogans of their demands.

This convention was preceded by a four month long nationwide campaign through gate meetings and group meetings etc on the issues of working women, focusing on some major issues – equal wages, maternity benefit and creche, legislation against sexual harassment, legislative protection for home based workers and domestic workers and against lifting of the ban on nigh work for women. A memorandum with over two lakh signatures from working women, collected as part of this campaign will be presented to the prime minister, after his return from Kashmir. (INN)