Chairperson releases book on Human Rights of Working Women
The Chairperson, Mr.Justice M.N.Venkatachaliah released a book entitled "Human rights of working women" on 13 April 1999 in New Delhi. The book brought out by the Publication Division of the Government of India is authored by Smt.Jayashree Gupta and seeks to promote wider awareness of human rights among working women.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chairperson said that society has not been kind to women and especially to working women. Not too far in the past "Husband and wife constituted one person and the husband was that person". However, the scandalous and humiliating limitations imposed on women are now changing. The situation today is one where the difference in sexes is a celebration of life and not a cause for discrimination. "We do recognise today that we have done us ill by ignoring 50 per cent of our total population".
The Chairperson pointed out that the National Human Rights Commission puts a great deal of stress on the education of the girl child. The Commission feels that when a girl child is educated, the whole family and society is educated. Unfortunately, neither the Government nor society has paid sufficient attention to this kind of empowerment. Quoting statistics, he said that in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state of the country, the proportion of girls in rural areas in the age group of 12 to 14 who had not seen a school was 68.0 per cent, whereas the figure in Kerala was 1.8 per cent. Citing the example of Kerala, which has achieved 100 per cent literacy and empowerment of women, he said that the number of children born in hospitals in Kerala was 92 per cent whereas it was just 4 per cent in U.P. While the national average for the number of hospital beds for one million persons in 1991 was 2409, it was 4230 in Kerala but only 1619 in U.P. The benefits of empowering and educating women have thus been proved beyond all doubt, but still both society and the authorities are not taking adequate steps.
The Chairperson believed that, very soon, there would be an electronic and educational revolution in our country. He exhorted all concerned to prepare themselves for it.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chairperson said that society has not been kind to women and especially to working women. Not too far in the past "Husband and wife constituted one person and the husband was that person". However, the scandalous and humiliating limitations imposed on women are now changing. The situation today is one where the difference in sexes is a celebration of life and not a cause for discrimination. "We do recognise today that we have done us ill by ignoring 50 per cent of our total population".
The Chairperson pointed out that the National Human Rights Commission puts a great deal of stress on the education of the girl child. The Commission feels that when a girl child is educated, the whole family and society is educated. Unfortunately, neither the Government nor society has paid sufficient attention to this kind of empowerment. Quoting statistics, he said that in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state of the country, the proportion of girls in rural areas in the age group of 12 to 14 who had not seen a school was 68.0 per cent, whereas the figure in Kerala was 1.8 per cent. Citing the example of Kerala, which has achieved 100 per cent literacy and empowerment of women, he said that the number of children born in hospitals in Kerala was 92 per cent whereas it was just 4 per cent in U.P. While the national average for the number of hospital beds for one million persons in 1991 was 2409, it was 4230 in Kerala but only 1619 in U.P. The benefits of empowering and educating women have thus been proved beyond all doubt, but still both society and the authorities are not taking adequate steps.
The Chairperson believed that, very soon, there would be an electronic and educational revolution in our country. He exhorted all concerned to prepare themselves for it.