Accomplished women, who have stamped their enduring marks on the life of the State while holding positions of responsibility in multiple realms, the Pioneer talked to on the occasion of the International Women Day on Thursday sounded generally satisfied over the fast improving condition of the women of the State and stressed on more to take things towards their complete empowerment. While laying stress on their economic and educational empowerment, they said that they should be made more and more aware of their legal and constitutional rights.
Congratulating women on the occasion of the special day which celebrates womanhood across the world, Dehradun senior superintendent of police Nivedita Kukreti, said that the women are moving apace -scaling peak from peak -in the realms of administration, education, sports and industries. "However, the women living in the cities are far better off than those living in the rural areas. A lot is still left undone in the villages where the women are still vegetating developmentally," she said.
"While discharging duty as the SSP, I have taken a slew of initiatives to facilitate the women to register reports on crimes being perpetrated against them. We are hosting workshops on the legal/constitutional rights of the women and also programmes to teach them art of self defence at the police lines. They can contact police on emergency toll free number 100 and 181 and SSP office on 0135-2716203 or 9411112706. Once such complaints are received police would swing into action. We have asked the police station officers not to turn away any woman who comes to register complaint," she said.
Former State Women Commission chairperson Sushila Baluni said that despite the monumental contribution of the women in the Statehood movement for Uttarakhand, the aspirations of the women are largely left unfulfilled in the State though several years have passed since the State was formed. "Migrations from the mountainous areas to the plains are leaving the women on edge. Nothing seems to have improved when it comes to the women empowerment in the rural Uttarakhand. Education, health facilities and jobs are still out of bounds for them. Have they fought for the formation of the State to flee the State after it is formedIJ" she asked.
Dr Vidushi Jyala Jain, a Dehradun- based Gynaecologist and infertility specialist said that the condition of the women has of course improved a lot as compared to the past few decades. "Due to measures taken at various levels, sex ratio has been steadily improving. Many women are now striding ahead in the fields they have chosen to show their mettle. They are showing that they are equally efficient in managing homes and in rising to the challenge in their working life," she said.
Secretary of Uttarakhand State Women Commission Ramindri Mandrawal said that the awakened women are now fighting for their rights and making the society to take notice of their presence. "We must ensure that not a single girl of the State remains bereft of education and economic empowerment. The steady surge in the number of the complaints being registered by the women signifies the steady rise in the level of their awareness. The commission has released a toll free number 181 to enable the women, facing problems, to register their complaints. Besides, we are imparting short duration curses on self defence, self- employment and the like with the help of Government and non-Government organisations from time to time at the block and the district levels," she added.
Uttarakhand Women and Child Welfare Minister Rekha Arya said that the conditions of women are improving fast thanks to the measures taken both by the Centre and the State government. "The State Government has launched a string of schemes and projects for self-help women groups to financially secure them," she said, adding that rural development projects are being designed while keeping the role of women in them. "We are trying to use "Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao" scheme as a lever to transform the life of the girls. The people's whole-hearted support is needed to speed things up towards complete women empowerment in the State," she said.