State level consultation on the implementation of laws to address gender-based violence

On July 26th and 27th EKTA hosted a state-level consultation on the implementation of laws to address gender-based violence.  A new national act to prevent violence against women -- the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 -- was signed into law this past April and, as is common knowledge in civil society, effective implementation of such laws is often a greater challenge than getting the laws written and signed in the first place.  This is clearly seen with the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, which, although passed in 2005, remains inadequately implemented throughout much of the country.  With this challenge in mind, EKTA organised this state-level consultation to address the specifics of these laws, discuss the existing challenges in implementation, and develop effective strategies for correcting these deficiencies. 

Held at the ICSA centre in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, participants at the consultation included civil society activists, academics, advocates (including one from the Madras High Court), and students. Upon reviewing the state's initiatives to address gender-based violence, it became very clear that there is a significant gap in the state's efforts to educate the public (and even its own judges and lawyers) on the legal and structural changes these laws bring. It was also clear that there is a real thirst for straightforward, applicable, and experience-based sharing of knowledge regarding the specifics of these acts and their practical implementation. Some of the strategies developed over the course of the two-day consultation include creating awareness on the provisions of these laws at all levels, demanding active participation of women's rights organizations in the various institutional mechanisms created by the acts, and strengthening or further defining the necessary procedures to hold the state and national governments accountable for adequate implementation and enforcement. 

A panel of speakers

 

Sumangali scheme

EKTA has been actively trying to promote a critical dialogue with stakeholders on the "Sumangali scheme" here in Tamil Nadu. As part of these efforts, last week we partnered with the Centre for Social Education and Development and held a two-day consultation to examine this issue with students, NSS volunteers, panchayat raj members, activists, and others. 

The sumangali scheme targets young girls predominately from vulnerable or marginalized communities to enter into contractual labour (usually in textile industries) for 3-5 years with the promise of a steady salary, room and board, and, at the end of this period, a lump sum of money to be used as dowry upon marriage. The scheme thus perpetuates dowry culture and all of its harmful consequences, such as domestic violence, daughter aversion/son preference, and the declining child sex ratio. Furthermore, these girls are usually subject to atrocious working conditions -- 12-hour-plus shifts six days a week, little safety awareness, physical/verbal/sexual abuse, to name a few -- and near complete control and isolation. This bonded labour jeopardizes girls' physical and mental health; suicides are not uncommon in these facilities, and neither are crippling injuries that will affect the girls for the rest of their lives. 

Although India has child labour (and dowry prevention) laws, sumangali schemes persist. Therefore, EKTA is calling for a further ban on employing children younger than 18 years in industries, as well as free and compulsory education for all children (the girls who take part in the sumangali schemes dropout and do not finish their education). In the day-long consultation at Hotel Supreme and the subsequent workshop at our centre in Kodimangalam, EKTA team members and partners developed action plans to prevent the perpetuation of this scheme and to design rescue, rehabilitation, and redressal efforts for victims.

Below are some pictures of the two-day event. The consultation also received coverage in The Hindu and Indian Express. Here is the link to the Hindu article: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/sumangali-scheme-draws-flak/article4914353.ece