Women's participation in decision-making bodies stressed

Mulky, Karnataka, Dec 8 (UNI) Speakers at a two-day national seminar on 'Woman empowerment-issues, problems and concerns' here today stressed the need to guarantee women equal access and full participation in decision-making bodies at every level and encourage changes in personal laws to eliminate discrimination against women.

Karnataka State Open University Vice-Chancellor Dr Sudha Rao, in her keynote address, said affirmative action such as reservation and quota should be considered on a time-bound basis and women-friendly policies should be drawn up. For economic empowerment of women, more micro economic policies and poverty eradication programmes to address the needs of poor women were required and a range of economic and social options along with necessary support measures should be taken up, she added.

She said there was a need for enhancing the outreach of credit by strengthening the existing micro credit mechanism and ensuring adequate form credit through financial institutions and banks. ''Our judicial and legal system should be more responsive and gender sensitive to women's needs and new laws are required to ensure quick justice. Changes in laws relating to ownership of property and inheritance should be encouraged to make them gender-just.'' Earlier inaugurating the seminar, Corporation Bank Executive Director K L Gopalakrishna stressed that all forms of violence against woman must be dealt with effectively. The recent domestic violence act and other laws should be reviewed to ensure delivery of quick justice and the punishment should be commensurate with the severity of the offence.

He reiterated that the success of programmes aimed at empowering women not only depended on the participation and qualitive contribution of women, but also the concerted efforts to put forward practical policies and programmes to sustain the development.

Department of Collegiate Education Director Prof K Kodandaramaiah said the committee, which finalised the list for reimbursing fees of top ten girls from Below Poverty Line families from each district for higher education, found that only 58 girls were eligible for the scholarship under the 'Rani Chennamma Scheme'. As the Government had released Rs one crore to reimburse 270 girl students, the committee had recommended to the State Government to expand the eligibility criteria.

The seminar, organised by Vijaya College here, saw educationists and academicians from various varsities in the country taking part.

UNI MA GD SKB1714