JAMMU, Mar 10: On the occasion of the International Women’s day, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Member Legislative Council (MLC) Dr. Shehnaz Ganai has participated in a Seminar of India Region of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) which started from 8 to March 9 at New Delhi on the theme of "Gender Justice and Responsive Governance".
The seminar was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on March 8 in Main Committee Room, Parliament House Annexe which was attended Women Members of Parliament and Women Members of each State Legislature, Experts and representatives of NGOs.
Dr Shenaz while speaking on the occasion said that she comes from a state where 80 percent population lives in rural areas, our visionary leader of the state Late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and our part National Conference some 70 years back had added a chapter in the Naya Kashmir Document, it was an attempt, first of its kind at that point of time in the whole subcontinent, where the focus was laid on the empowerment of the women.
She also informed the parliamentarians that for the empowerment of women State Government has taken bold steps and constituted a state mission authority under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to review various Central and State Government Schemes and monitor progress regarding social empowerment of the women, besides having the independent State Commission for women in the state.
She said, “The best way to empower women is to change the mind set in our homes so as to ensure that there is no discrimination with them on various issues. There are so many issues, ranging from as trivial as giving them nutritive diet (Women mostly get whatever is left after male members have eaten their meals), to giving them scope of professional education, allowing them to have a career of their choice to allowing them to choose the groom of their choice.”
She further said, “Our state has suffered a lot and the highlighted the issues of thousands of Widows and half widows, who have lost their husbands to militants, surrendered militants and security forces during past 24 years of militancy. Particularly mentioned of village Daradpura in Kupwara where about 75% women are widows.
Meanwhile, Dr. Shehnaz requested the Speaker of the Parliament to hold the next conference in the J&K State so that the Parliamentarians can get to know the pains of stress the women in the trouble torn state who are facing due to ongoing conflict.
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