Fighting for the uplift of women and greater political representation for them, the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) has proposed to intensify its crusade demanding 33 per cent reservation for women and on issues relating to protection of women besides aggressively opposing fascist forces.
In addition to joining hands with other women organisations, the AIDWA would independently take up the issue of 33 per cent quota for women, the impact of price rise and neo-liberal economic policies especially on women and violence against women more forcefully in the days to come, its national secretary Sehba Farooqui said.
Noting that women’s movement were getting stronger today, she said women were keen on getting their space in the political system.
Ms. Farooqui, who was here to attend a State-level minority welfare conference, said if the Telangana Bill could be pushed so aggressively and passed in the Lok Sabha in the run up to the upcoming Parliamentary polls, why not the Women’s Reservation Bill.
Accusing the Congress of resorting to “delaying tactic” and playing a “trick” on the issue of 33 per cent quota for women, Ms. Farooqui claimed that the Congress and the BJP were not keen on its passage. Terming the fight for quota for women as a movement, Ms. Farooqui told The Hindu that crimes against women could be better addressed if they had greater political representation and power.
Stating that no political party could ignore this crucial issue, she said it could only be delayed. Barring Tripura, sexual offences against women were prevalent in other North Eastern states besides Haryana, Bihar and UP, she claimed.
Ever since the Left government collapsed in West Bengal, cases of violence against women in that State had risen, Ms. Farooqui alleged.
The AIDWA, she said, wanted the Centre to implement all recommendations of the Justice J.S. Verma Committee that was constituted to look into the possible amendments in the criminal laws related to sexual violence against women.
