A call for workers’ right to sit

Various programmes mark International Women’s Day in the city

Writer Sara Joseph releases a leaflet, prepared by a collective of women in theunorganised sector to campaign for the woman labourers’ right to sit during their long hours of work in textile shops, at a function held at the Sports Council Hall in Kozhikode on Saturday. Photo: K. Ragesh

Various programmes were organised in the city on Saturday on the occasion of the International Women’s Day.

The most notable among them was a strike declaration by a united forum of women’s organisations, led by Penkoottu, raising the right of woman workers in textile shops to sit down during work hours.

President of Anweshi K. Ajitha declared the protest open after a rally taken out by various volunteers and labourers from LIC Junction to the Sports Council Hall where a convention was held. The forum will collect information using the Right to Information Act on the kind of facilities provided to woman workers at textile shops in the city.

It will appeal to the Labour Officer, the State Human Rights Commission as well as the Labour Minister for the right of the woman workers to sit down.

If no favourable action was taken before May 1, the International Labour Day, the forum would organise protests, Secretary of Penkoottu P. Viji told The Hindu .

Writer and activist Sara Joseph inaugurated the convention.

She released a pamphlet, ‘Seize the right to sit’ by handing over a copy to Sreedevi, a labourer in the S.M. Street.

Women safety rally

The Kozhikode Corporation Kudumbasree CDS organised a women’s safety rally on the theme ‘Development through women empowerment.’

Thousands of women from the three Community Development Societies of the Corporation took part in the rally. Mayor A.K. Premajam administered the oath to the volunteers.

The Bhasha Samanvaya Vedi in association with Sthreechethana, an organisation for women, organised a discussion on women’s magazines in Malayalam. Sthreechethana president K.S. Jayasree inaugurated the discussion. E.P. Jyothi, who bagged the Balamani Amma Memorial Award, was honoured on the occasion.

The Kerala Women’s Welfare Group in association with the AICTU organised woman labourers convention, which was inaugurated by AICTU general secretary K.K. Chandran.

The Kokoori Institute of Fertility and Laparoscopy organised free gynaecological disease and infertility detection camp.

The women’s wing of the Indian Medical Association Kozhikode Branch honoured women of repute from various fields.