Tag: women

Sugata Bose speaks on the occasion of International Women’s Day

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I appeal to you Madam Speaker, that one way or another please ensure that women have just representation in the Lok Sabha in the future.

Sonia Gandhi ji has already paid tribute to the women who took part in the Gandhian Satyagrahas. Madam Teacher has already mentioned the Rani of Jhansi and the women, very often very poor women working in rubber plantations who fought in the Rani of Jhansi Regiment of the Indian National Army.

I would simply add my tribute to women revolutionaries like Pritilata Waddedar of the Chittagong Armoury Raid and Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay, who went abroad and there, in the United States, she was the first to refuse to give up her seat in a train, long before Rosa Parks did the same thing on a bus.

So, these are the women whom we should remember and take as our inspiration and I wish to tell my women colleagues that because my name ends with an ‘A’, I often get letters addressed to ‘Ms Sugata Bose’ and I never object to that.

And especially on this 8th of March, I want to say that we will stand in solidarity with you and fight shoulder to shoulder with you to end gender discrimination in our country once and for all.

Satabdi Roy speaks in Lok Sabha on International Women’s Day

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Mere ghar mein jo kaam karti hain who aaj bhi kaam kar rahi hain, lekin aaj 8th March hain. Joh raaste mein signal pe bachhe le ke bhikh mangti hain, woh bhi wohi kar rahi hain, lekin phir bhi aaj 8th March hain. Dowry lene ke liye joh sasural unke bahu ko torture karte hain woh aaj bhi chal rahi hain, phir bhi aaj 8th March hain.

Actually, main bahut saare se baat kiya 8th March ka matlab kya hain, kyun yeh special hain. Koi bolte hain yeh special hain kyun ki women special hain, iss liye, aap logon ko respect karte hain isi liye. Aur kisi ka baat yeh hain aap log weaker section hain, aap log neeche ho, aap logon ko support den eke liye yeh Women’s Day hain. Main yeh doosre pe believe karti hoon. Lekin joh bhi gender description hain, discrimination hain, woh tab tak hain jab woh society mein aata hain. Agar koi kisi maa se pooche joh du mahine dus deen kok mein rakhte, usko ladka ya ladki, job hi hain, usme pain alag hote kya, usme anubhav alag hote kya? Uska joh stress hote hain, joh saab mein tension hote hain, woh saab alag hote kya? Kyunki joh bachhe ke duniya, desh aur kok, uske desh hote hain, toh kuch bhi nahin hain. Jab paida ho jate hain tab yeh male-dominated society iska difference karte hain.

lekin tab tak yeh differentiation chalega jab tak economically hum log equal nahin honge. Jab tak hum log ghar mein kaam karenge 24 hours, maybe unka income nahin hain, isi liye woh kuch bhi nahin karte. Jab engineer husband 8 hours kaam karte toh phir uska income count hota hain. Isme income hi ek hain jisme equal baan sakte hain, uske liye education zaroori hain. Jab tak hum log education nahin denge tab tak income bhi nahin honge, tab tak hum iequal bhi nahin ban payenge.

Jaise women ko hamesha ad mein bhi dikhate hain, jaise use karte hain jo product, abhi jo ad bante, jaise TV ka ad hote hain, fridge ka ad hote hain, gari ke ad hote hain, usme kya bolte? Yeh le jaiye, yeh best hain, aapko paisa bachayenge, petrol bachayenge, electricity bachayenge. Equally aap wohin bol rahe hain – ladki bachaiye, beti bachaiye, toh aapko ultimately paise bachayenge. Product bana diya, abhi bhi naari wohi product hain joh fridge, TV, gari ke saath tolte hain.

Humlogka yeh chahiye, aap log agar bolenge ki bus mein special seat chahiye, toh nahin chahiye, humlog bus chalana chahte hain. Aal bolenge ‘ladies first’ aage jaiye, nahin, humlogo ko kandha se kandhe mila ke chalna chahiye. 5 lakh income karne se aapka tax-free, nahin chahiye. 5 crore income karke main pura tax dena chahti hoon.

Ek kavita mein bolti hoon … ek paanch saal ki bachhe uska daddy se poocha, “Daddy, freedom kisko bolte?” Daddy ne kaha, “Jab aap sab jo chahe bol sakte ho, jo chahe kar sakte ho, kisi ke paas aap answerable nahin ho. Jo bhi bologe, joh bhi chahoge, apne man se kar sakte ho, isi ko freedom kar sakte hain.” Toh paanch saal ke bachhe kaha, “Daddy, toh mujhe bhi freedom milna chahiye.” Daddy bola, “Nahin. Tum bachhe ho, tum freedom le ke kya karoge? Jab bade ho jaoge, freedom apne aap aa jayenge. Bade hone se hi freedom milte hain, bade hone se freedom apne aap aa jate hain.” Bachhi ne poocha, “Maa kab bade honge?” Humlogon ka society mein maa kabhi bade nahin hote, iss liye abhi bhi humlog equality ka baat karte hain. Maa ko bade hona chahiye, badi hone dijiye, toh phir yeh discussion ka baat hi nahin hoga. Aur ek baat pa mein conclude karti hoon. Main personally yeh day nahin manti hoon kyunki saalbhar mujhe chahiye Women’s Day. Tab mein 8th ZMarch Nari Divas celebrate karoongi jab 9th March Purush Divas honge because we believe in equality.

Thank you.

 

Women’s empowerment in West Bengal: 10 major initiatives in the last five years

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In its first five-year term, the Trinamool Congress Government has brought about many major initiatives for women in West Bengal.

As a result, women all over the State have benefitted immensely.

Here are ten major initiatives for women:

KANYASHREE SCHEME: Kanyashree is the State’s flagship project for the girl child. More than 30 lakh girls have been enrolled under the scheme, whcih has garnered international as well as national recognitions.

EDUCATION: For the first time, under the Trinamool Congress administration, a university for women has been set in Diamond Harbour. A state women’s college for minorities is coming up in Ekbalpore, Kolkata. Twenty-one hostels for women have being constructed in various polytechnics across the State. Through the State Government’s Sabuj Sathi Scheme, wherein bicycles are given to school children in rural areas, thousands of girls, too have benefitted. Besides, over 8,000 girl students studying in Class IX in the Sundarbans region have been given bicycles over the last five years. Around 40 Womens’ Corners have been opened in different Government and Government-sponsored libraries to increase access to women readers.

SWABALAMBAN SCHEME: Through the Swabalamban Scheme, training is given on a wide range of livelihood activities, e.g., zari craft, handloom weaving, beautician courses, community health, readymade garment-making, wood carving, etc. Recently, as a part of this scheme, the State Government has launched an acting project for sex workers, meant to make them self-sufficient by giving them acting lessons and making them employable in the entertainment industry.

MUKTIR ALO: Muktir Alo is a comprehensive scheme for the rehabilitation of sex workers. It provides them with opportunities for leading a life with dignity by providing them alternative career opportunities, and also gives protection to victims of sex trafficking.

MATERNITY LEAVE: For the benefit of women, maternity leave for State Government employees has been extended. ‘Maternity and Child Care Leave,’ as it is called, can now be taken for a total period of two years, in stages.

KOLKATA SAFEST CITY FOR WOMEN: Kolkata is one of the safest metros in India for women. According to the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Kolkata is the safest city in Kolkata in terms of crimes against women. The India Today Best City Awards 2014 awarded Kolkata the award for the best city in the category of crime and safety. Kolkata Police offers martial arts training to schoolgirls, under Project Sukanya, to make them self-reliant when it comes to defending themselves.

POLICE STATIONS RUN BY WOMEN: The West Bengal Government has adopted a ‘zero tolerance’ approach towards crime against women. The Government is setting up police stations run exclusively by women police officers. As of now, the Government has set up 30 Women Police Stations, as these are termed.

ANTI-TRAFFICKING UNITS: The State Government has set up dedicated Anti-Human Trafficking Units and Special Juvenile Police units in each district.

EMPLOYMENT: More than 27,000 self-help groups have been formed over the last five years, which have over 16 lakh women members. Financial assistance to the tune of Rs 200.07 lakh has been sanctioned for development of women’s cooperative societies. The State has also created employment opportunities, including many for women, through skill development in various sectors. The Biswa Bangla initiative by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also opened up a lot of employment opportunities for women. A lot of the handicraft workers in the rural areas are women, who are earning a decent livelihood. Women’s participation in MGNREGS, in which the State has achieved unique milestones, has increased to 41%, which is all-time high in the State.

HOSTELS FOR WORKING WOMEN: To sort out the accommodation issues of working women, hostels have been constructed. A 40-bedded hostel, Ananya, has been at up in Durgapur and another 44-bedded one, named Swayangsiddha, in Salt Lake, Kolkata. Seven more are in different phases of construction all over the State.

 

গত পাঁচ বছরে নারী ক্ষমতায়নে পশ্চিমবঙ্গের সেরা উদ্যোগ  

গত পাঁচ বছরে তৃণমূল পরিচালিত সরকার মেয়েদের জন্য বিভিন্ন রকম উদ্যোগ নিয়েছে। এর ফলে রাজ্য জুড়ে মহিলাদের অনেক উন্নতিসাধন হয়েছে।

মহিলাদের জন্য নেওয়া প্রধান উদ্যোগগুলি হলঃ

‘কনাশ্রী’ প্রকল্প – মেয়েদের জন্য রাজ্য সরকারের যুগান্তকারী প্রকল্প ‘কনাশ্রী’। প্রায় ৩০ লক্ষেরও বেশি মেয়েরা রয়েছে এই প্রকল্পের আওতায়। এই প্রকল্পটি জাতীয় ও আন্তর্জাতিক স্তরে যথেষ্ট প্রশংসা পেয়েছে।

শিক্ষা – তৃণমূল সরকারের আমলে এই প্রথম বার রাজ্যে প্রথম মহিলাদের জন্যও একটি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় স্থাপন করেছে। ডায়মন্ড হারবারে তৈরি হয়েছে ডায়মন্ড হারবার মহিলা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়। সারা রাজ্যে সব মিলিয়ে প্রায় ২১ টি মহিলা হোস্টেল তৈরির পরিকাঠামো চলছে। এরমধ্যে ৪টি তৈরি হয়ে গেছে। কলকাতার একবালপুরে মহিলাদের জন্য একটি সরকারী জেনারেল ডিগ্রী কলেজ চালু হয়েছে ও জলপাইগুড়িতে (বানরাহাটে) রাজ্যের প্রথম হিন্দী মিডিয়াম জেনারেল ডিগ্রী কলেজ স্থাপিত হয়েছে। এছাড়া সবুজ সাথী প্রকল্পের মাধ্যমে মেয়েদের সাইকেল দেওয়া হচ্ছে, এছাড়া আরও অনেক সুবিধা দেওয়া হয়েছে যাতে তারা পড়াশোনা করতে পারে।

স্ববলম্বন প্রকল্প – রাজ্যের মহিলাদের স্বনির্ভর করতে মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় চালু করেছেন ‘স্ববলম্বন প্রকল্প’। এর মাধ্যমে বিভিন্ন ক্ষেত্রে প্রশিক্ষণ দেওয়া হবে মহিলাদের।

মুক্তির আলো – যৌন কর্মীদের জন্য শুরু হয়েছে প্রকল্প ‘মুক্তির আলো’।

কলকাতা সুরক্ষিত নগর – NCRB-রিপোর্ট অনুযায়ী নারী সুরক্ষার ক্ষেত্রে দেশের মধ্যে কলকাতাই সবচেয়ে সুরক্ষিত নগরী। নারী সুরক্ষার ক্ষেত্রে রাজ্য সরকার কোনরকম অন্যায়কে বরদাস্ত করে না। বিভিন্ন সরকারী বাস স্ট্যান্ডগুলিতে মহিলাদের সুরক্ষার জন্যও CCTV বসানো হয়েছে।

মহিলা পুলিশ স্টেশন –  নারী সুরক্ষার ক্ষেত্রে আরও কিছু পদক্ষেপ নিয়েছে রাজ্য সরকার। রাজ্য সরকার ৬৫টি মহিলা থানা তৈরি করার সিদ্ধান্ত নিয়েছে। ইতিমধ্যে ৩০টি পুলিশ স্টেশন তৈরি হয়ে গেছে।এছাড়া বিচার ব্যবস্থায় গতি আনতে মহিলাদের জন্যও ৫১টি ফার্স্ট ট্র্যাক কোর্ট তৈরি করা হয়েছে।

অ্যাণ্টি ট্রাফিকিং ইউনিট – পাচার রুখতে প্রতিটি জেলায় রাজ্য সরকার অ্যাণ্টি হিউম্যান ট্রাফিকিং ইউনিট এবং স্পেশাল জুভেনহাইল পুলিশ ইউনিট তৈরি করেছে।

স্বনির্ভর গোষ্ঠী – সমাজের দুর্বলতর শ্রেণীর মহিলা স্বনির্ভর গোষ্ঠীগুলিকে আর্থিকভাবে স্বনির্ভর করা এবং পারিবারিক আয় বৃদ্ধি ও জীবনযাত্রার মান উন্নত করার জন্য বিভিন্ন প্রকল্প চালু করেছে রাজ্য সরকার। এছাড়া বিভিন্ন ক্ষেত্রে প্রশিক্ষণও দেওয়া হচ্ছে মহিলাদের। বিশ্ব বাংলা দোকানগুলিতে মহিলাদের তৈরি বিভিন্ন হাটের কাজ বিক্রির ব্যবস্থা করেছে রাজ্য সরকার।

১০০ দিনের কাজ – ১০০ দিনের কাজে অভূতপূর্ব সাফল্য পেয়েছে পশ্চিমবঙ্গ। এই কাজে মহিলাদের অংশগ্রহন ৪১ শতাংশ বৃদ্ধি পেয়েছে যা অন্যান্য রাজ্যের তুলনায় বেশি।

 

 

 

 

Four new women’s police stations to be set up in Kolkata

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Four new women’s police stations are coming up in the city to further curb crime against women. This the third phase of setting up women’s police stations with thirty such station already functional in the State.

The West Bengal Chief Minister had targeted to set up 65 such police stations across the State.  The government has approved the establishment of 330 posts under various categories for the new police stations. A woman police officer will head each of these police stations and majority of the other ranks will constitute of women also.

In the first phase 20 women police stations were set up at Howrah, Barasat, Baruipur, Asansol, Jhargram, Contai, Chinsurah, Krishnanagar, Siliguri and Jalpaiguri Sadar, sub-divisional headquarters of Burdwan Sadar, Medinipur Sadar, Purulia Sadar, Bankura Sadar, Darjeeling Sadar, Sreerampore (Hooghly), Suri (Birbhum), English Bazar (Malda), Diamond Harbour (South 24-Parganas) and Barrackpore (North 24-Parganas).

In the second phase, 10 new stations have opened at Bidhannagar and Durgapur Commissionerate, Cooch Behar, Balurghat, Raiganj, Berhampore, Kharagpur, Haldia, Uluberia and Arambag.

Around 330 posts have been approved for the new police stations  and these have been strengthened with one inspector, eight sub-inspectors, eight assistant sub-inspectors and 30 constables.

AITC Women’s Cell to hold workshops across the State

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AITC Chairperson Ms Mamata Banerjee has asked Trinamool Congress Women Cell State President and Chandrima Bhattacharjee to hold workshops of elected Trinamool women representatives in different civic bodies, gram panchayats, panchayat samities, zilla parishads.

She said respective MPs and MLAs would also be present in such workshops. The AITC Women Cell State President said that Trinamool Congress will hold these workshops in all 20 districts along with 18 notional districts. She said it is expected the workshops would be completed by 15 September.

She said that the main objective of these workshops is to create awareness among these women representatives, especially newly elected, about the different state government projects on women and children. She said she would ask the elected people’s representatives to meet the public with humanitarian approach.

The AITC Women Cell State President said: “I will also discuss at length about the women’s property right, right to residence, right to inheritance. They are people’s representatives and they should be aware of the women rights. Only then can they solve such problems in their respective area.”

“We will also make them aware of different government projects related to women and children like Kanyashree, Shikshashree, health care of mother and child, especially pregnant women (Janani Suraksha),” the minister said. Workshops would be held in Singur,Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar in August and Darjeeling plains in August. She would probably hold workshops in Malda, North and South Dinjapur in mid week of August.

“We will explain the function of Sick Neonatal Care Unit (SNCU), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Nicu) and how our government has increased the number of SNCUs and Nicu not only in tertiary hospitals but also at district and sub division levels,” the AITC Women Cell State President said.

 

WB CM declares child-care leave for teachers

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West Bengal Chief minister Ms Mamata Banerjee on Friday declared that women teachers of government-aided schools and colleges and women staffers in state government undertakings will now get two years of child care leave. But the child has to be under 18 and the leave can be taken in phases.

In 2012, the Trinamool government had announced the child-care leave facility for state government employees and now the employees of the undertakings and aided schools and colleges will also get the advantage. The CM added it will help more than 1 lakh women employees.

Women in governmentbacked schools and other state-aided undertakings will now be able to maintain their family and be productive at work simultaneously .

WB Govt to launch Muktir Aalo – Rehabilitation scheme for sex workers

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The West Bengal government today announced a scheme by which sex workers would be rehabilitated through an alternative means of livelihood. West Bengal Women Welfare Minister Shashi Panja said that the scheme, christened ‘Muktir Alo’(Ray of Freedom) by the West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee, will help these women to bring them back to the mainstream of the society.

West Bengal minister for Women and Social Welfare department, Dr Sashi Panja said that the proposal has received approval from the State Cabinet. Plans are being made for venue and the streams of trainings. The scheme will soon be inaugurated, she said.

Dr Sashi Panja said that the women who has been forced to work as sex workers and those who have been trafficked, will be trained in different skills to become self sufficient.

Details of the scheme:

Muktir Alo is totally a State funded newly introduced comprehensive scheme for rehabilitation of Commercial Sex Workers. The scheme is intended for providing skill up-gradation and capacity building of the sex workers who wish to leave the profession to enable them to start a life afresh through alternative livelihood options. This scheme is also intended to provide dignified opportunities to the women who have been drawn into the profession of sex work by force or otherwise.

The scheme will have provision for immediate relief and long term rehabilitation initiative through technical / vocational training. Under immediate relief there is a provision of stipend of Rs. 2,500/- per month per head up to 9 (nine) months. Under long term rehabilitation relief there is provision for Institutional Care to the beneficiaries where all the maintenance cost will be borne from the scheme.

Annual estimated expenditure for the newly introduced Scheme Muktir Alo is Rs. 66,71,000/- (sixty six lakh seventy one thousand only). Women Development and Social Welfare Department has selected Women Development Undertaking as the Nodal Agency for implementation of the Scheme on behalf of the Department. In turn Women Interlink Foundation has been selected as NGO for implementation of the Scheme.

The project will provide opportunities to girls and young women who are rescued from trafficking and red-light areas to become self-reliant economically and helping them to develop the confidence to live and work independently and fulfill their dreams. The WD and Social Welfare Department has resolved that Women’s Interlink Foundation will organize vocational training on Block Printing and Spice Grinding at Nijaloy Home located at Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas for 25 trainees on each trade.

State Women Empowerment Mission formed for protection of women

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The State Women & Child Welfare Department has taken yet another step for the security of women. The department setting up dedicated “anti women harassment cells” in all 20 districts of Bengal.

A meeting in this regard was held at Nabanna on Thursday, headed by Dr Amit Mitra. The meeting consisted senior ministers including Purnendu Bose, Manish Gupta, Moloy Ghatak, Sadhan Pundey, Dr Sashi Panja and MP Dola Sen.

Each cell will have a 24×7 helpline number, so complaints could be registered round the clock.

A committee named State Women Empowerment Mission has been formed and is to be headed by the West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee.

All the 63 departments of the State has been asked to suggest women-centric schemes.

Trinamool Mahila Congress to protest against misogynist remarks of Opp

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The Mahila Trinamool Congress will bring out a rally today to protest against the disparaging remarks of BJP state unit president against women in general and Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee in particular.

The rally will start from College Square and come to an end at Rani Rashmoni Road.

“What he said is an insult not only of the chief minister but the women of the state. We can not understand how such a remark can be made by a sensible man. We demand that he apologises before women or we will keep on agitating through the state,” Chandrima Bhattacharya, President of Trinamool Mahila Congress, said at a media conference at Trinamool Bhavan.

Women councilors script history in KMC

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With 51 women councilors – 44% of its 114 members – Trinamool has created history.

Trinamool had nominated 64 women candidates for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls, 15 more than it was mandatory under the state election rules. Fifty one Trinamool nominees won on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted, “Forty-four percent of councilors elected to the new KMC board from Trinamool are women.”

While it remained a general trend among political parties to shift and change candidates based on the ward reservation patterns, Trinamool chose to break ranks by re-nominating seven women candidates in general category seats.