The 11th State conference of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) concluded here on Friday.
The 600-odd delegates elected a 100-member committee to rejuvenate the association’s activities.
Susan Kodi new president
The conference elected Susan Kodi as the new president and P. Sathidevi, secretary. C.S. Sujatha, former Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] MP from Mavelikara, is the new treasurer, AIDWA leaders told a press conference here after winding up the three-day conference at the Akash convention hall here.
N.K. Radha,N. Sukanya, K.R. Vijaya, Subaida Ishaq, P.S. Shaila, and Rema Mohan have been elected vice-presidents. The new joint secretaries are K.P. Sumathi, K.S. Saleekha, Meenambika, M.V. Sarala, E. Padmavathi and Sabitha Begum.
The association expressed its resentment at the injustice meted out to women even 70 years after Independence, Ms. Sathidevi said.
The AIDWA, as part of its national conference in Bhopal in December, would launch a campaign seeking gender equality, she said, adding that only a 50 per cent quota for women would help address the issues.
On the Uniform Civil Code, the AIDWA called for rectifying the anti-women clauses and other anomalies in the personal laws in all religions before enforcing the code in a phased manner.
“We must ensure that the Hindu religious code is not imposed under the guise of passing the Uniform Civil Code,” Ms. Sathidevi said.
The association also opposed the practice of divorcing women by triple talaq.
Rally held
A colourful procession was taken out from the meeting venue in north Kottachery to the municipal town hall premises, where Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan addressed a public meeting.
Mr. Vijayan called upon society to take up the issues faced by women.
