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.
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.
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| A panel of speakers |
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