Objectives of the Workshop:
1.
To promote legal
empowerment of women to enable them to enforce for their rights and
entitlements and effectively address injustices.
2.
To ensuring legal empowerment of women.
3.
To provide a
platform to women to raise their issues
4.
To Strengthen
Women's network and Advocacy
5. To instill
confidence ensuring independent thinking, expressing concerns of the community,
communicate their views, perceptions, priorities and equally participate in the
development of their communities.
Lets ask ourselves just one question, How many women, victims of any form of abuse, be it sexual, physical, emotional or any other, actually have the courage to go and report the same.? We need not google the statistics. It is staring at us naked in our face, the obvious answer: - hardly a minuscule percentage. So, what is that we lack at stops us from doing so, legal provisions, laws, judicial system, police force? No, nothing, all of it is very much present in our country.
If only women and men were made aware that laws exist to protect women and that they will be implemented and without ANY influence, will serve as a double edged sword, EMPOWERING WOMEN and SCARING MEN. Publicity of such a provision will deter those conniving men from thinking about taking advantage of any woman.
So we propose the following provisions to be included in a new Act, Women Legal Awareness Act,-
1. Compulsory Legal awareness session to be held in EVERY school/college/institute/workplace having women. Such a session will tell the women about thee type of harassment and what to do in such events, whom to approach. The helplines available, the important phone numbers, the contact details of the local Womens Commission, etc. Such a session will reach out to women, not only making them aware of the types of harassments, but also in giving them confidence that there are laws to protect them and resources are available.
2. Making ANY complaint by women (falling in line of any form of harassment) a compulsory FIR and the details of the accused (parents details and job details) to be recorded. This move will deter men from daring to exploit women.
3. Speedier trials of such complaint by local courts.
4. Having a lady police officer look into the complaint.
5. Having a police helpline for such matters.
6. Compulsory putting of posters carrying helpline number, website addresses, contact details, in every place having women (e.g.: - in ladies restrooms).This will server as a constant reminder to women that help is just around the corner.
Reservations in educational institutions
Right to free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen year is itself a fundamental right and the State is also empowered to make special provisions of reservation for admission to educational institutions, including private non-minority educational institutions, whether aided or unaided.
Reservation in public employments
Economic upliftment comes essentially through guaranteeing an adequate share of participation and selection, with relaxation in criteria especially as regards age, educational qualification are important objectives realized through reservations. Significantly, it shall not be merely at the entry level into public employment but also in matters of promotion with consequential seniority to any class or classes of posts, which in the opinion of the State are not adequately represented. Unfilled vacancies in a year which are reserved for being filled up in that year may be filled by in any succeeding year or years without clubbing with the vacancies of the year in which they are being filled up.
Who are persons with disability?
The definition of the term disability as per the provisions of the Persons with Disability Act 1995 means:-
1. Blindness
2. Low vision
3. Leprosy cured
4. Hearing impairment
5. Loco-motor disability
6. Mental retardation
7. Mental illness
Features of the 1995 Act
The 1995 Act provides for placing mechanisms for prevention and early detection of persons with disabilities. Provisions for education and employment are the most potent tools for their empowerment and the Act addresses the agenda for establishment of special schools and reservation in public employments. The Act declares that the Government shall appoint in every establishment such percentage of vacancies not less than three per cent for persons or class of persons with disability of which one per cent each shall be reserved for persons suffering from blindness or low vision; hearing impairment; locomotor disability or cerebral palsy, in the posts identified for each disability. Where in any recruitment year any vacancy cannot be filled up due to non-availability of a suitable person with disability or, for any other sufficient reason, such vacancy shall be carried forward in the succeeding recruitment year and if in the succeeding recruitment year also suitable person with disability is not available, it may first be filled by interchange among the three categories and only when there is no person with disability available for the post in that year, the employer shall fill up the vacancy by appointment of a person, other than a person with disability. All Government educational institutions and other educational institutions receiving aid from the Government shall reserve not less than three per cent seats for persons with disabilities. The appropriate Governments and local authorities shall reserve not less than three per cent in all poverty alleviation schemes for the benefit of persons with disabilities.
It is a healthy development to see that with increasing awareness of law among women, the legal battles are also increasing, said Karnataka State Human Rights Commission legal advisor Ramadevi.
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