People's Democracy

Women’s Organisations Congratulate Pratibha Patil

The following is the text of the joint statement issued by women’s organisations ––– AIDWA, AIWC, CWDS, FORCES, GOS, JWP, NFIW, MWF on July 22, 2007

ON behalf of the national women’s organisations, we extend our warm congratulations to Pratibha Patil on her election to the prestigious post of the president of India becoming the country’s first woman president.

It is a success in which the role of the progressive and secular parties has been noteworthy. Significantly, the scurrilous campaign launched by the BJP, which was a motivated attempt to besmirch the office of the president, and which also exposed their patriarchal mind set, was thoroughly defeated.

We hope that under her tenure as the Constitutional head, the contribution of women in many fields, especially the public, and the political sphere, will get noticed, and enhanced, and this would also then serve as an impetus for the passing of the 33 per cent Women’s Reservation Bill.