Panel chief: women have better legal awareness now

Complaints regarding abuse, neglect of senior citizens on the rise

An adalat organised by the State Women’s Commission in the city on Wednesday.— Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar

The Kerala Women’s Commission has so far received around 7,000 to 8,000 complaints this year, which is higher than in earlier years. This rise is mainly due to an improvement in legal awareness among women, especially those who earn lower incomes, according to Commission chairperson K.C. Rosakutty.

Talking to mediapersons at the mega adalat here on Wednesday, she said effort were on to amicably settle these complaints with the help of adalats and through counselling, thereby preventing the complainants from going to court or opting for divorce.

As complaints regarding abuse and neglect of senior citizens and illegal appropriation of their wealth were on the rise, senior citizens and their families should be made aware of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, the chairperson said.

Jagratha samithi

In the wake of rising divorce rates, it is necessary to expand the reach of such mechanisms, and Jagratha Samithies, set up to reduce the prevalence of crimes against women, can contribute to achieving this.

103 petitions were considered at the adalat on Wednesday, of which 38 were settled. Ten were forwarded to the police, while counselling was arranged in five cases. Thirty cases where one of the parties did not turn up were postponed for Thursday, and 20 cases remained unsettled.