The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) will mount pressure on the Centre to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, chairperson Sonia Gandhi has said.
Inaugurating the 16th anniversary of the Kudumbasree Mission here on Tuesday, Ms.Gandhi said the previous UPA government had passed the Bill in the Rajya Sabha but could not go further.
This was a matter of concern. Since the UPA was in the Opposition, it would mount pressure on the NDA government to pass the Bill to honour its commitment to women.
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The UPA government had taken the lead in promoting self-help groups with bank linkages. New laws were passed to prevent sexual harassment of women, end domestic violence, and also for awarding stringent punishment in such cases, she said.
Gramapanchayats and SHGs should work in tandem as they had a vital socio-economic role. “Kerala is one State which has set a model by launching the Nirbhaya scheme for addressing violence against women. Instead of turning to government schemes for everything, a massive movement like Kudumbasree can change the life of women. Kerala has eradicated poverty through concerted community action at the behest of local self-government institutions.
The State has emerged as a leader in emancipating and empowering women by offering best education, health facilities, equal rights, and access to sanitation, which is a prerequisite to protecting their privacy,” she said.
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Kudumbasree had led to the uplift of those with double vulnerability, of being women and also poor.
The informal banking system functioning under the movement was a challenge to poverty. It had led women into organic farming, small businesses, providing educational assistance for the members’ wards and various other projects.
“With moderate assistance, rural women have become entrepreneurs and have learnt to find solutions to their problems through their experience and ability,” she said.
There was a dire need for women leaders in the country and the model of self-sufficiency and women empowerment set by Kerala through Kudumbashree could well be emulated internationally, she said.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, in his presidential address, said Kudumbashree had become a nationally and internationally acclaimed movement and was offering a helping hand to the destitute who formed two per cent of the State’s population through Aashrya.
The government would provide all support for marketing and branding its products, he said.
Panchayat Minister M.K.Muneer welcomed the gathering. Minister for Industries P.K. Kunhalikutty, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, Finance Minister K.M. Mani, Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar, and Shashi Tharoor, MP, offered felicitation. Executive director K.B. Valasala Kumari proposed the vote of thanks.