Ensuring the safety and well being of women and children remains a top priority at all levels of government. But it is easier said than done as women continue to face violence both at home and outside.
That said, from deciding to design safe and inclusive streets to taking steps to make it a dowry-free local body, the Kanjikuzhy grama panchayat in Alappuzha is determined to achieve the women-friendly tag through some serious actions.
The panchayat is all set to launch ‘Subhadram’, a project primarily aimed at finding solutions to issues being faced by women and children along with providing support to victims of dowry harassment, domestic violence, and other atrocities.
“The project, which aims to ensure the safety and well-being of women and children, involves a number of components. Other than giving counselling and necessary assistance including legal, medical and psychological support to the victims, the project plans to make the local body a truly gender-inclusive space,” says Geetha Karthikeyan, president, Kanjikuzhy grama panchayat.
Among them is making streets and public spaces in Kanjikuzhy women and child-friendly. M. Santhoshkumar, vice president, Kanjikuzhy grama panchayat, says the local body will design well-lit inclusive streets and open gathering spaces where women and children could walk or gather at any time.
“We want women and children to feel safe, visible and welcome in streets and public spaces. The streets and public spaces in the local body will be transformed accordingly,” he says.
As part of Subhadram project, Jagratha samithis will be strengthened and a woman facilitator will be appointed in the panchayat. The panchayat will set up a shelter home for victims. It will also establish a crisis management team and its services will be extended to all wards in the local body. A toll-free number will be made available for women to lodge complaints round the clock, besides placing complaint boxes in all anganwadis.
To make the local body a dowry-free panchayat, special awareness programmes will be conducted for teenagers making them aware of the dowry prevention law. The panchayat is also planning to impart skill development classes for all girls in the age group between 10 and 19.
