People's Democracy

 Women’s Day Celebrated In Delhi

AMIDST singing of songs about women’s rights and struggle against patriarchy, 16 women’s organisations and groups celebrated International Women’s Day in Delhi on March 7.

Speaking on the occasion, AIDWA vice president, Brinda Karat, expressed solidarity with women in Palestine and Iraq who are facing the onslaught of US occupation and its imperialist agenda. She also criticised successive governments, including the UPA government, for not passing the Women’s Reservation Bill since 1996 and killing it again and again within the parliamentary womb. Karat demanded that the UPA government must immediately pass the Bill on Domestic Violence with suitable amendments, which had been suggested by the AIDWA and other women’s groups. This was urgent in view of official figures conceding the fact that several thousands of women were being killed and subjected to domestic violence.

Pointing out that the Employment Guarantee Bill was inadequate and covered only 150 districts, she asked for 40 per cent reservation of the jobs for women under the scheme. She also demanded that women be provided such jobs under the scheme which suitable to them. She demanded that minimum wages for women must be ensured. Criticising the drive to remove jhuggis (slums) in cities, Karat pointed out that jhuggi dwellers had been divested of their livelihood and moreover their alternative dwellings, which had been provided far from the cities, had no civic amenities like water and electricity. 

NFIW general secretary, Sahiba Farooqi, also criticised the UPA government for not passing the Women’s Reservation Bill and trying to defer it by talking about evolving political consensus around the Bill. She said the Employment Guarantee Bill in its present form would cover only a tiny section of the huge rural poor, who she pointed out are in a position to do the kind of jobs covered under the scheme of road building etc.

A pamphlet issued by the 16 women organisations/groups, which included AIDWA, NFIW, JWP, YWCA, CWDS, Nirantar, Sama , Jagori, Saheli, Action India, Ankur etc. highlighted  all the demands and issues which these groups had agreed to put forward this year, including implementation of the Employment Guarantee Bill with suitable modifications, stopping of removals of  jhuggis etc. The pamphlet also highlighted the escalating violence against women, including foeticide and pointed out that non implementation of the PNDT Act had resulted in an alarming sex ratio of 819 women per 1000 men. It further called for adequate sensitisation of the police and court personnel to deal with cases of domestic violence and dowry. Starting with a march and shouting of slogans for implementation of these various demands, the meeting ended with a tribal dance by women from Nirmala Niketan.