Education will end the oppression of women: Activists | Goa News
Panaji: Social activists and stakeholders have welcomed the decision of the panchayats to pass resolutions to outlaw social practices of isolation and discrimination against widows. They said only education and economic empowerment can bring change.
Former chairman of the state women’s commission, Pramod Salgaocar, said local self-governments highlighting injustice to widows would give the issue a boost.
“The fact that political authorities are taking up this issue, which was previously reserved for social activists, is a big step forward. It should be discussed in the Assembly and has also been discussed in Parliament,” she said.
Reformers and activists have been calling for equal rights for women for decades, but regressive practices prevail in some areas.
TOI reported last week that Morjim had become the third panchayat after Dhargalim and Corgao to ban the social isolation of widows which is practiced in some areas.
Other panchayats should follow suit and all should pass similar resolutions, said former women’s commission chair Vidhya Gaude.
“We should move forward supporting women in every village,” she said, adding that resolutions should not stay on paper.
Salgaocar said gender equality was pushed forward by Mahila’s activists, women’s commission and Congress two and a half decades ago. Conferences were also organized inviting women victims of such practices to share their stories.
“It’s very traumatic after the death of a loved one. Women shouldn’t be traumatized on top of that. The inhumane practices must stop,” she said. She even objected to the term “widow”. “It may be used in government statistics and so on, but in everyday life a woman is a woman,” she said.
The solution to the problem is education and economic empowerment of women, Salgaocar said. Director of Women and Child Development, Deepali Naik, said panchayats banning such practices will have a greater impact. ”
Women should be allowed to grieve. If she wants to wear white and wants to live a certain way, the panchayat cannot step in and impose those things,” she said.
Former chairman of the state women’s commission, Pramod Salgaocar, said local self-governments highlighting injustice to widows would give the issue a boost.
“The fact that political authorities are taking up this issue, which was previously reserved for social activists, is a big step forward. It should be discussed in the Assembly and has also been discussed in Parliament,” she said.
Reformers and activists have been calling for equal rights for women for decades, but regressive practices prevail in some areas.
TOI reported last week that Morjim had become the third panchayat after Dhargalim and Corgao to ban the social isolation of widows which is practiced in some areas.
Other panchayats should follow suit and all should pass similar resolutions, said former women’s commission chair Vidhya Gaude.
“We should move forward supporting women in every village,” she said, adding that resolutions should not stay on paper.
Salgaocar said gender equality was pushed forward by Mahila’s activists, women’s commission and Congress two and a half decades ago. Conferences were also organized inviting women victims of such practices to share their stories.
“It’s very traumatic after the death of a loved one. Women shouldn’t be traumatized on top of that. The inhumane practices must stop,” she said. She even objected to the term “widow”. “It may be used in government statistics and so on, but in everyday life a woman is a woman,” she said.
The solution to the problem is education and economic empowerment of women, Salgaocar said. Director of Women and Child Development, Deepali Naik, said panchayats banning such practices will have a greater impact. ”
Women should be allowed to grieve. If she wants to wear white and wants to live a certain way, the panchayat cannot step in and impose those things,” she said.