land right not only secures food and shelter, it is the most empowering tool that gives rural women identity, dignity, and social status. land title (patta) empowers them to access and control land, take decisions in the family and in the community. Therefore, women’s land rights matter much for rural women.
This was the message on the occasion of the International Day of Rural Women at Gumma block organised jointly by the district administration, Gajapati and landesa, a global non-profit organisation, working towards securing land rights for the poorest people, on October 17.
The Tahsildar BDO, the CDPO, the Block chairman of Gumma, the GPEO, Anganwadi workers, PRI representatives, Revenue Inspectors and officials of landesa gathered to deliberate on the issues and challenges around land rights and social security entitlements of women, particularly of the distressed single women, who are widowed, divorced, disabled and who have remained unmarried.
“With support from landesa, the district recently opened Women Support Centres at the tehsils as well as block offices to help women access land and social security entitlements with a priority on single women,” said Tehsildar Gadadhar Patro.
BDO Subadar Pradhan discussed about the lack of support system for the single women, which makes
their life miserable as these women are often victims of violence, unfair treatment and drudgery.
On the occasion, homestead pattas were distributed to the rural landless women. The district administration also felicitated Gumma RI Simanchal Das for his consistent effort towards land allocation to rural women.