BENGALURU: Ondede, a human rights organisation, has urged both the state and Union governments to stop mandating the father’s name in official documents for children of sex workers, gender minorities, Devadasis, and single women.
As schools are set to reopen, the organisation stated that such requirements pose barriers to education, violate children’s rights, and reinforce discrimination against marginalised communities.
Among its 21 demands, the organisation urged the formulation of national and state-level policies that safeguard the rights of these communities and their children and that they are not violated. It stressed that members of these communities must be actively involved in the policy-making process.
The organisation also called for an incentive of Rs 10 lakh for self-employment and to implement strict penalties for officials who show apathy or discrimination, as per existing laws. Geetha, secretary of Sadhana Mahila Sangha, an NGO supporting sex workers, said, “Access to identity-based services such as education, healthcare, voter ID, and job reservations should be based solely on the mother’s documents in the case of children from marginalised communities.”
She said the demands are aimed at improving the overall quality of life for mothers and children from marginalised groups.
Recalling her experience, transgender activist Akkai Padmashali said, “Though my marriage was registered under the Special Marriage Act, after my divorce, I was granted sole custody of my child. Yet, when I approached the passport office, I encountered officials who were indifferent and biased.”