BMMA to foster women leaders at grassroots level

Tiruchirapalli, May 18 (UNI) The Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), a national alliance working for the uplift of Muslim women, would strive to foster women leaders at district level to promote educational, social and economic empowerment of the community women, according to Noorjehan Safia Niaz, Co-Director, Women's Research Action Group, Mumbai.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday after participating in a consultation workshop on proposed amendments in the Muslim Marriage Act, Ms Niaz, also a member of the Andolan said, ''we are working towards creating leaders at the grassroots level to take up various issues concerning Muslim women, including livelihood issues.'' She also pointed out that the Andolan was taking up advocacy for promoting the cause of Muslim women. ''We want a gender-just personal law for Muslim women, based on the Koran. The voice of Muslim women needs to be heard on the issue,'' Ms Niaz said.

She said the Andolan currently had about 70,000 members and was aiming to create a national platform for advocacy. The Andolan plans to hold more meetings across Tamil Nadu to discuss the livelihood issues of women. Access to government schemes would be one of the major issues for discussion as there were not many Muslims women among the beneficiaries under various schemes namely free two acre land scheme and colour television scheme, she added.

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