Evescape

   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...

Of the many factors dotting the path to women empowerment in the state, significant to note is the severe lack of women in decision making positions, gender gap in paid work force, pay disparity, and issues concerning safety. ----------------------------- As per 2011 census, the percentage of female population of Goa is 49.32, with a sex ratio of 973, and the female literacy rate at 84.68. Furthermore, with highest GDP per capita among all states, named as the best-placed state in terms of infrastructure, rated as having the best quality of life by India’s National Commission on Population, and the third-highest ranking state in human development index, it may suit well for the government to project a rosy picture on the status of women in the state. Even as the Uniform Civil Code, women’s movement led by non-government organizations, individuals and non formal groups having deep insight into women’s concerns have accounted for initiatives aimed at empowering women, the efforts of succ...

 

..and the system failed her Even as abuses against domestic workers, taking place in private homes and hidden from the public eye go unreported, the recent case reported in Fatorda, of physical abuse of a woman domestic worker in forceful confinement -- failed to garner media and public attention.  However, the case brought to light the likely prevalence of such women trapped in situations of forced labor or trafficked into forced domestic work in conditions akin to slavery in Goa. The Case: On January 26, Linda Shirwaiker informed about a woman, aged around 50, working as domestic help for a family in Gogol Housing Board, who had been confined, and regularly assaulted by her employers. She went on to say that the woman had been subjected to physical assault and psychological torture for many years now. In a few hours, we went to the victim's house and found her alone, sitting outside the main door. After ensuring her employers were not around, we got her into a conversation. As sh...

  MATTERS of CONCERN Crimes Against Women  & Role of the Society Institutions supposedly expected to support, stand by and rally behind the victims of crime against women somehow seem to be providing only lip service or even missing from the scene when they are needed the most. When one talks to victims one realizes that bodies such as the One Stop Centers (North and South), Goa State Commission for Women, Victim Assistance Units,  Childrens Commission of Goa, etc;  grossly fail to reach out to the vulnerable and the victims, laments   SANGEETA NAIK. Cases of atrocities on women which come to limelight time and again and more importantly the reaction of the public to these cases makes one wonder. Is the modernity that we claim to have imbibed as an advanced civilization a mere eyewash? Just beneath this thin crust of modernity and civilizedness, are we still a group with a collective irrational, crude and cruel medieval mindset? With the exception of a few a...