Human Rights Forum has appealed to district Collector Yogitha Rana to initiate necessary steps to prevent the intervention of husbands of women elected representatives on public affairs, which relegates their wives to secondary positions.
In a memorandum submitted to the Collector at the Prajavani (grievance cell) meeting here on Monday, the organisation, led by senior advocate and HRF vice-president Gorrepati Madhava Rao, said, “We are concerned about, among other things, ensuring the agencies of the State adhere to the letter and spirit of constitutionally guaranteed rights. In this case, for the upholding of protective measures meant for empowerment of women.”
With a lofty objective of empowering women, reservations were given in the legislative bodies and also in the local bodies. Women were being elected as the people’s representatives at various levels; but, in many cases, husbands of the women representatives were acting as if they were the elected representatives.
The husbands even occupy their wives’ seats.
They intervene in the developmental activities; they collect illegal gratifications from people who construct buildings; they even give directions to the staff of the local bodies. If any official does not toe his line, he or she is targeted. If women representatives are reduced to mere statues, the objective of women empowerment would go to winds, the HRF leaders said.
They suggested the following measures correct the situation: holding refresher courses every six months for women representatives on their powers and responsibilities, giving instructions to the staff of the local bodies not to bow to the pressures of husbands; instructions to give priority to issues raised by women representatives in the developmental activities, sharing dais with women representatives must be made compulsory for all rungs of officials of all departments, and at the review meetings reportage on this aspect be made a must.
