Jagratha samitis that function as part of the three-tier panchayat system as stipulated by the Kerala Women’s Commission rules will be strengthened in the wake of an increase in crimes against women, Kerala Women’s Commission chairperson P. Satheedevi has said.
She was addressing mediapersons after assuming charge here on Friday.
Ms. Satheedevi said instances of women being harassed in the name of dowry by government employees and others and pushed to suicide were on the rise. Hence, a campaign against dowry was being organised by the Kerala Women’s Commission, Women and Child Development Department, Culture Department, and others. Girls should not be pushed into marriages. Instead, they should be educated to the extent possible so that they could be independent. The Governor’s directive that students, in order to get college admission and graduation certificate, should submit an affidavit that they would not take dowry was laudable.
The Education Department had even brought about changes in the curriculum to eliminate gender inequality. However, it could not be said that gender inequality was a thing of the past. Women were being denied equal pay for equal work in the workplace. More efforts should be made for gender equality, including in the judiciary.
Ms. Satheedevi said the Kerala Women’s Commission, a quasi judicial body, would hold talks with legal experts on amending the Kerala Women’s Commission Act to ensure better protection of rights of women.
On Friday morning, Ms. Satheedevi was received at the commission headquarters by member secretary P. Usharani, members M.S. Thara, Shiji Sivaji, and Shahida Kamal, and employees.
