Suggests a separate panel to study status of Muslim women
Making out a strong case to formulate a National Policy
and Action Plan to end violence against women, a government-appointed
panel has recommended 50 per cent reservation for women in all
decision-making bodies and an overhaul of the criminal justice system to
ensure justice for women.
Suggesting that a separate
panel be appointed by the government to study the status of Muslim
women in the country, the High Level Committee on the Status of Women in
India, in its preliminary report, said upgrading the Minister of Women
and Child Development to Cabinet rank would reflect the government’s
concern on women’s issues.
Calling for an increase in
resources, the panel said a large amount of resources was being
directed towards child development in the Ministry.
It
said the Parliamentary Committee on the Empowerment of Women must
examine the gender implications of all proposed legislation and the
National Commission for Women, as an apex body responsible for and
answerable to 50 per cent of the population, must go beyond ‘reactive
interventions’ to fulfil the proactive mandate of studying, recommending
and influencing policies, laws, programmes and budgets to ensure full
benefits to the stakeholders.
The government had in
February 2012 set up a High Level Committee to undertake a comprehensive
study to understand the status of women since 1989 and evolve
appropriate policy interventions based on a contemporary assessment of
women’s needs.
The 14-member committee, headed by Pam Rajput, submitted a preliminary report to the Ministry here on Monday.
Focussing
on the need to bring about major changes in the criminal justice
system, the report suggests initiatives ranging from a more gender
sensitive enforcement machinery to greater awareness of different
legislation and their inter-connectedness, along with accountability for
securing women’s rights.
Panel for a separate law against female infanticide
Recommends that a campaign spreading awareness against gender violence be included in school, college curriculum
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