Guwahati : A two-day National Conference on ‘Human Rights of Women’ organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has made several important suggestions that encompass women’s sexual, reproductive & health rights including provisioning of incentives/disincentives for adopting small family norms, violence against women and girls, women’s empowerment and gender equality and trafficking of women and girls. The conference concluded on Wednesday.
Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, NHRC, in his concluding remarks, said that the Commission will further closely study these recommendations in the light of any further suggestions and then will send them to the appropriate authority. He assured that the Commission will continue to pursue the implementation of these recommendations.
During the course of deliberations, it was strongly felt that media should play an important role in addressing the concerns of women and girls. It should make its own guidelines for depiction of women and such images and material, which may not harm women’s welfare. It was also felt that all stakeholders should be briefed on new laws, projects and programmes in simple language that they understand.
The participants, included, NHRC Members, senior officers and officers from Ministries of Women and Child Development, Home Affairs, Labour, External Affairs, Panchayati Raj, Health and Family Welfare, representatives of international, non-governmental, civil society organisations, National Commissions and State Commissions.
Some of the suggestions/recommendations:
- Laws, regulations and policies that discriminate against women should be reviewed, amended or abolished to bring them in line with international human rights instruments.
- Enact a new comprehensive legislation on human trafficking from a gender and rights perspective replacing the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956.
- Each district should have a dedicated anti-human trafficking unit with appropriate manpower and resources.
- The victims of acid attack should be given pension.
- Patriarchal, social and cultural practices perpetrating discrimination and violence against women should be addressed with the whole might of the State and the law.
- The law on sexual harassment at workplace should be extended to the workers of unorganized sector and the complaints mechanism should be effectively implemented in all sections of economy.
- Regulation of practice of commercial surrogacy is required to protect the interests and rights surrogate women.
- Regular social auditing of institutions like Nari Niketan needs to be undertaken.
- A Bill of Women’s Rights should be adopted, as a re-affirmation of the nation’s commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
- Political parties should adopt affirmative measures to support more women candidates.