The Union Government hopes to bring this year a new legislation to tackle the widespread problem of domestic violence against women. Several other legislations including the Indecent Representation of Women Act, the Sati Act, the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act and the Dowry (Prohibition) Act will also be reviewed during the year which is being celebrated as the Women’s Empowerment Year.

This was revealed by Human Resource Development Minister, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi while addressing a function organised by the Department of Women and Child Development on the occasion of International Women’s Day in New Delhi. The legislative changes would help in ushering a radical change in the society for removing the gender gaps, he said. Dr Joshi expressed concern at the constantly declining sex ratio, now standing at 927 females to 1000 males and the growing incidences of female foeticide.

Dr Joshi also informed that a new scheme was on the anvil for addressing the needs of women in difficult circumstances. This would cover widows, destitute women, prisoners and migrant women among others. The proposed scheme would have provisions for an immediate as well as a longterm rehabilitation. ‘‘We have requested State Governments to establish district level committees headed by district magistrates. These would include representatives from voluntary organisations to review, monitor and take steps to counter violence against women’’, he said.

Dr Joshi complimented the women’s movement in India for raising the women’s issues. It should be strengthened further to reach more and more poor women, he said. The recent Stree Shakti Awards were a pointer to the government’s thinking, he said adding that the awardees belonged to unorganised sectors. He expressed the hope that the Indian women’s movement would lead the world.

Delivering the keynote address, the Chief Justice of India, Justice Dr AS Anand said that a just and equitable social order would not be in place till the women who constituted about 50% of the population got their due share. He made it clear that no law or custom or tradition should be invoked to sustain discrimination. The Chief Justice observed that while the constitution enshrines equal status of men and women, it has remained confined to books. Women continue to be unequal partners as the ground reality is distressing. There is still a long way to go for achieving the goals enshrined in the constitution, he said. Justice Dr Anand pointed out that the problem was not of existence of legislation but of implementation. He referred to the rampant crimes against women and called for a change in the mind set. He regretted at the degeneration of moral values and said that a social movement was needed to give women a place of honour.

Justice Dr Anand laid emphasis on education of women as it would be a major instrument of social change. There is also a need to make women aware of their rights and to re-orient our thinking towards gender equality. Gender issue should be an intergral part of the policy making, he said.

Earlier, in her welcome address, the Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Mrs Sumitra Mahajan, said that the need of the day was to sensitise the society. She regretted that because of social and economic reasons, women were denied their constitutional rights.

Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, Dr Najma Hepatullah said that there should be an increase in the number of women judges in higher and lower courts. She suggested that trial of rape cases should be held in camera. Calling for the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, she said that if necessary, it could be taken up in the Rajya Sabha first.

Dr Vina Mazumdar of the Centre for Women’s Development Studies (CWDS) stated emphatically that the women’s movement in India was home-grown and not inspired by the feminist movement in the West. The coming up of several women’s groups, particularly for women in the informal sector, has given momentum to the women’s movement in the country, she said.

Speaking at the function, Justice Sujata Manohar, Member National Human Rights Commission, emphasised the need to work for elimination of gender inequality. She pointed out that we still have a long way to go before having equitable laws in areas of vital concern to women. We have to take care of family laws that affect marital status, custody of children, inheritance succession and adoption.

In her address, Ms Renana Jhabwala of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) regretted that although women work more, they are found marginalised in the sphere of economy. The invisible unorganised sector which contributes 63% of national income is composed mostly of women, she said. There is a need for social and economic security and organisation for them as well as institutions for upgrading their skills, she added.