Gender equality leads to societal development

Vijayawada: Dalit Sthree Shakti (DSS) has been striving hard to bring awareness among Dalit and Adivasi women across the State in spite the ups and downs facing in all these 16 years, said Geddam Jhansi, the national convener of Dalit Sthree Shakti.

She inaugurated 16th anniversary celebrations of the DSS here on Tuesday. She profusely thanked the government officials, intellectuals of various sections and the media, who have been extending their unstinted support to the DSS in discharging its responsibilities with honesty and integrity.

The DSS organised the State conference here on Tuesday with the theme 'Gender Equality-Way to society development' in which AP State Mahila Commission chairperson Vasireddy Padma, I&PR Joint Director Tella Kasturi Bai, Prof Farhad of KL University, Manavata Foundation director James Kommu and Safai Karmachari Andolan State coordinator Sridevi spoke. Geddam Jhansi presided over the programme.

Referring to the programmes undertaken, Jhansi said that despite Covid pandemic, awareness programmes on various enactments, advocacy against the atrocities on women and girls were continued.

Fact finding was undertaken in about one hundred cases leading to punishment of the accused, she said.

Jhansi deplored that the State was in 140th place in the country in gender equality, which was the main cause of violence against women. According to the data of National Crime Records Bureau, violence against women and girls has been going on unabated. There should be basic change in the attitude in society towards the problem of violence. There is no point in paying ex gratia and punishing the accused after the damage was done.

Vasireddy Padma, releasing the 16th annual report of the DSS, congratulated Dalit Sthree Shakti for its untiring efforts to bring awareness among Dalit and Adivasi women. She expressed concern over the prevailing discrimination and untouchability in society. She said that it was the women of the working class and farming class who are running the country.Prof Farhad said half of society was women who give birth to half of society. The gender equality should be imbibed since childhood.