Batting for entitlements like food, pension, education, health, land, livelihood, agriculture, access to institutional and employment opportunities for single and distressed women, speakers here at a State-level women’s conference opined that a political agenda and policy is needed to facilitate rights of single women in the social sector.
Around 400 single women mostly farmers (widow, distressed and divorcee) coming from 18 districts of the State attended the conference orgainsied by ActionAid.
For instance, Puspa Debi of the ActionAId said though nearly 100 single women are staying in 20 villages in Bhikaripari, Sundarpur, Tangarapari, Chamakhandi, Chikalakhandi, Biputingi, Kanamana panchayata in Chhatrapur block in Ganjam district, they were deprived of socioeconomic facilities.
Neither they have homestead land, agriculture land in their name nor avail any Government benefits.
Information Commissioner Sasiprabha Bindhani batted for proactive measures to reach out to single women to secure their rights and opportunities to realise their full potential.
Researcher Amrita Patel said for single women land rights assumes even more importance as it becomes a source of dignity, recognition and a source of livelihood and shelter.