THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Women’s Commission chairperson P Sathi Devi has said that the women in the country deserve a 50% reservation. She was speaking after inaugurating the state seminar on the Constitution and women’s rights, organised by the commission and Susheela Gopalan Memorial Women’s Legal Studies Centre, at Mahatma Ayyankali Hall in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
“Even after 75 years of Indian rule, the social situation of equality envisioned by the Constitution has not materialised. We proudly say that three of the 15 women in the Constituent Assembly are Malayalis. However, even after seven-and-a-half decades, there is only a decision to provide one-third reservation to women. There are concerns about whether this can be implemented. The one-third reservation will be implemented after several years of constituency reorganisation and population enumeration. This shows that justice has not been done to the essence of the Constitution,” Sathi Devi said.
She also said that the state government was of the view that Kerala should be converted into a women’s state. “Anti-women attitudes remain in the public consciousness of society. The Women’s Commission is trying to change this. The safety of women will be complete only if measures are taken from the perspective of women,” Sathi Devi added.
Crime Branch SP Merin Joseph, who presented the topic of violence against women and legal protection, said that the women’s help desk was working to speed up the action by receiving complaints from women at police stations. “Counselling will also be provided to those who need it. An internal committee should be formed in all institutions to look into women’s complaints,” Merin said.
Parvathy Menon, the standing counsel of the Women’s Commission, said that institutions that do not form an internal committee would be imposed with a fine of Rs 50,000 as it is an offence. “If the offence is repeated, the police can register a case and prosecute the institution. Laws to protect women should be well implemented,” Parvathy said. Women’s Commission member Indira Raveendran presided over.