Evescape

Since the year 2011, the United Nations has been observing June 23 as International Widows Day. The day seeks to draw attention to the voices and experiences of widows and to galvanize the unique support that they need. While commemorating this event today, WE, a newly formed movement for widow rights in Goa, is urging the government for action towards achieving full rights and recognition for these 'invisible women' in the State of Goa. Before a law is enacted, the movement seeks support of the civil society to revisit it's stance on these practices and liberate these women from the unwarranted restrictions imposed on them by the society. Herwad panchayat in Maharashtra"s Kolhapur district marked the beginning of a movement to outlaw regressive widowhood practices. Subsequently the movement started gaining traction in Maharashtra, with other panchayats following suit and the state government directing panchayats across the state to adopt similar resolutions to end t...

Despite several existing legislations, international and national human rights instruments, the Indian Penal Code (IPC), The Goa Civil Code and continued efforts to address gender inequality, and atrocities  against women -- women still encounter discriminatory practices in varied forms. In particular, to note here are cultural or customary practices such as widowhood or funerary practices, which is nowhere enjoined by any of the religions as an imperative duty - have continued to perpetuate the subordinate position of women despite all the progress that we have made as a State. Exclusion of widows is a stark reality that a few of our political leaders and sections of society are sadly in denial. Moreover, widowhood practices are a violation of women’s rights to dignity and non-discrimination guaranteed in the Constitution of India (refer Art 14, Art 21). Years after sati was abolished and years after The Commission of Sati (prevention) Act, 1987, Act no 3 of 1988 to provide for mo...

Currently engaged, alongwith a host of social influencers, policy and law experts, in drafting a resolution and creating a forum to draft a policy document to demand a law to end discrimination against widows, my task include talking to various agencies, stakeholders, constitutional experts and social  reformers to understand the nity gritty of the proposed law, the complexity of the issue at hand, and the way forward.  Among the many that I am in conversation with on the subject is none other than the social reformer from Solapur himself -- Pramod Zinjade whose small initiative in Kolhapur"s Herwad village has scripted a movement in Maharashtra, and its ripple effect felt in Goa too -- with more than four panchayats in Goa already adopting resolutions to end discriminatory widowhood practices and ensure dignity of life, equal rights and inclusiveness to the widow. The Herwad village which passed the resolution on May 4 to become India's first village to adopt such a resoluti...

   It is now a given that the Eighth Goa Legislative Assembly that will be sworn in in March will again be "undemocratic" literally.  Why? Because on a basic level, a legislative assembly without the participation of half the state’s population is not democratic. Because the Constitution of India mandates equal civil and political rights to men and women.  All this because despite rhetorical commitment to gender parity in politics, major political parties - the INC and BJP (major contenders in the high decibel Goa assembly elections to be held on Monday) fall far short of that goal, going by the dismal number of women they have fielded as candidates.  Undemocratic, to my mind, because post elections, women will simply not be getting the kind of governance they deserve. This because we will not have enough women in decision-making or policy making roles -- not in roles of making laws. Not just these two, but clearly, political parties across the board have once a...

Political parties in the fray in Goa for the upcoming assembly polls have once again let the women down. Despite the female voter emerging as most assertive, showing greater participation, in the festival of democracy, as indicated by the ECI figures, parties have failed to walk the talk on women representation once again. This is unjust, and this time around, the women voters in Goa should stand up and take note.  --------------- According to ECI figures, among Goa's 11,10,884 electors, women outnumber men by3 1,460 . But Sadly. Irrespective of a few socio-economic strides, and cultural ethos which at the face of it atleast, project gender parity, Goa's low ranking in terms of representation of women in its 40 member Legislative Assembly -- despite having had a woman chief minister (Shashikala tai Kakodkar served as the Chief Minister of Goa, Daman and Diu on two occasions) -- is but a sad commentary on equality garanteed by the Constitution of India.  Every political party...

The shameful act of most political parties to field candidates with dubious credentials, and sending law breakers to become law makers is an extremely dangerous trend and should be a matter of serious concern to Goa's aware electorate .  The controversy over fielding of sitting MLA Antanasio Monserate in Panaji over Utpal Parrikar, son of former defence minister of India and Goa"s former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar, should refuse to die down among the literate electorate of the politically vibrant capital city.  Why? Because a party like the  Bharatiya Janata Party BJP), which has the distinction of being the largest political party in the world, with a strong cadre base, prefers to field an imported politician from an exactly opposite ideology, most importantly with criminal antecedents (alleged rape of a minor). And because the party has stooped such low in Goa that it has preferred winnability over credibility.  Though this case has come to haunt the st...