Stressing on women empowerment, Union Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla here on Saturday said every girl child should be given education and liberty so that she would lead a dignified and fearless life in the society.
“In most of the families, particularly in rural areas, girls are exposed to partiality in education in comparison to boys. Parents should treat them equally as both of them can earn bread and butter for the family,” said the Minister.
Attending as chief guest at a two-day national convention on Women and Child Right organised by the State Progressive Women’s Forum (SPWF) here, Heptulla stated that girls should be given security guard training to make them enable protect themselves and others.
A social activist, who is working for women since 1975, Heptulla said, “Several kinds of violence against women like rape, domestic violence and dowry torture are prevailing in the society. The effort to bring reform in the society should begin from a family and the responsibility lies on a mother, who should teach her son to respect women.” She called for an integrated effort for the development of all, including women and tribals.
The Minister also pointed out that consumption of alcohol is one of the prime reasons for increasing crimes in the society. Efforts should be made to put an end to liquor consumption, she said.
“As many as 45 laws in the country are related to women only. Only formation of laws cannot solve such issues, rather, spreading awareness on these laws among both men and women will help remove such issues,” she added.
As chief speaker, Union Tribal Affair Minister Jual Oram urged upon the Government bodies, NGOs and SHGs to take efforts collectively to check violence against women and thereby bring reform in the society.
Among others, SPWF Chief Mamta Samantray, MP Baishnab Parida and MlA Sashi Bhusan Behera spoke on the occasion.