Women should get 50% reservation. However, only one-third reservation to women in Lok Sabha and State legislatures has been allowed. There are concerns on even when this can be implemented; it could well be years after delimitation and Census are completed. This clearly showed that justice was not done by the spirit of the Constitution that promises equal justice, Kerala Women’s Commission chairperson P. Satheedevi has said.
She was speaking after inaugurating a seminar on ‘Constitution and women’s rights’ that was organised by the commission and the Suseela Gopalan Smaraka Sthree Padhavi Niyama Padhana Kendram at Ayyankali hall, here, on Sunday.
Ms. Satheedevi said that despite 75 years of Indian rule, social conditions of equality, as laid down in the Constitution, had not been realised. India has one of the best Constitutions. The Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution had 15 women members, three of them from Kerala.
The government stance was to transform Kerala into a pro-women State. However, anti-women attitudes continued to hold sway in society. The women’s commission was making attempts to change this. Only when action was taken on such attitudes, complete protection for women could be provided, Ms. Satheedevi said.
During a talk on ‘Violence against women and legal protection’, held as part of the seminar, Crime Branch Superintendent of Police Merin Joseph said women help desks were functioning in the police stations to accept complaints from women and take speedy action. Counselling too was provided to those in need. All establishments should set up internal committees to investigate women’s complaints, Ms. Joseph said.
Women’s commission High Court standing counsel Parvathi Menon in her talk on ‘Constitution and women protection laws’ said that if internal committees to accept women’s complaints were not formed, a fine of ₹50,000 could be imposed. If this offence was repeated, a police case could be registered and a trial held. Laws to protect women should be implemented effectively. At the same time, these should not be misused in the name of reacting to something, she said.
Former MP C.S. Sujatha, who is also president of the Suseela Gopalan Smaraka Sthree Padhavi Niyama Padhana Kendram, delivered the keynote address. Women’s commission member Indira Raveendran presided.
