"Rural Women Not Aware Of Rights"

Supreme Court Judge Justice Altamas Kabir on Saturday lamented that though efforts are on to get 33% reservations for women in constitutional bodies, the fact that over 70% of women in rural India are living below the poverty line, and are being denied their rights, is distressing.

Delivering his inaugural address at the All India Women Lawyers Conference 2011 at the Global Peace Auditorium, Gachchibowli, Justice Kabir said that women in rural India are suffering simply because they were unaware about their rights and about the fact that they can get justice for themselves.

He said that if awareness among women is created and avenues of information provided to them, it would go a long way in easing their suffering.

Justice Kabir called on the women lawyers of the country to meet these hapless women and create awareness among them about their rights so that they can be protected from sexual harassment, domestic violence, deprivation of their rights, among other things.

He said that lawyers must teach them women how to use the Law as a tool to fight for their rights.

The Judge stated that the fight for getting 33% of seats for women in Parliament and other elected bodies is going on, but that while these efforts bear fruits, rural women should not be neglected.

Justice Kabir also said that the Supreme Court has welcomed women to be a part of the judicial system and has always been promoting law as a career option for women.

The Judge also said that care should be taken to prevent the misuse of Section 498-A (Dowry Harassment).

Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, law minister E Pratap Reddy and High Court judge B Prakash Rao also spoke on the occasion. Justice Altamas Kabir handed over the 'Sthree Vakil Puraskar' to former governor of Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka V S Ramadevi.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievance Law and Justice Jayanthi Natarajan was unable to attend the conference to receive the award. A lawyer from Tamil Nadu received the award on her behalf.

Courtesy: INN